a loud voice from the throne saying, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live
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. And if you just flick over to chapter 22, starting at verse 1, down to 6.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life as clear as crystal, flowing from the
throne of God and of the Lamb, down the middle of the great street of the city. On each
side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit
every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer
will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his
servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the
sun, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever. The
angel said to me, These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of
the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.
Thanks. And there is a pen or a piece of paper with headings and questions, if that helps
you. As we look at these great passages, really chapter 21 and chapter 22 cover all one theme,
but we're just going to be looking at a section of each.
Okay, well, let's pray.
Father, we thank you for your many gifts to us, gifts that we have already enjoyed today,
the gift of friendship, gift of family, being able to talk and share with one another,
the gift of the Lord Jesus, and the power of your Holy Spirit at work within us.
We thank you so much.
Lord, we thank you for your time.
that we would live lives full of meaning, of hope and purpose, that we would be the
answer, not ourselves, but the message we bring to so many who are lost and without hope.
So encourage us all this morning, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
Well, over the last week, we had our annual What Do You Want for Christmas conversation.
I don't know if you have that in your house. We do.
Requests came flooding in.
PS4, iPhone, 42-inch smart TV, sports gear, food, and that's just Kirsty's wish list.
By the time we'd finished our conversation, it had turned into a lot of shouting, threats of not getting anything,
a long explanation from Dad about household budgets and recession, and on and on it went.
So what do you want for Christmas?
What's on your wish list?
And I don't mean what gadget do you want, or what new fashion accessory that you're after.
I mean, what do you really long for?
What's your deepest heart's desire?
Because I think the things that we desperately want is what everybody wants.
Deep, caring, loving friendships.
People who are loyal and faithful.
Relationships that have been broken, but now made new and put right.
Homes where there is joy and happiness, where there isn't any fighting or arguing.
Where sickness is healed and all suffering has been removed.
Equality, so that homeless people don't die in the cold.
Justice, so that guilty people are punished, whatever their political position.
We want an end to things like wars and famine and natural disasters.
You see, what we really long for, what we really want, is for everything that is broken to be fixed.
We want a new world.
A world where people are happy and never sad.
A world where there is peace and not violence.
A world where everyone is satisfied and fulfilled.
Is that too much of a thing to ask for?
Is that too much of a wish?
Well, what we all want for Christmas,
these big longings and big desires of our hearts,
have all been promised by the risen Lord Jesus.
And that's what we have in Revelation chapter 21 and 22.
We're given this spectacular vision to help us see and visualize what has been promised.
This vision is like a collage of colorful pictures that all flow and mingle together
to show us.
To show us the beauty and the wonder of a new world under God and what it's going to be like.
So let's have a look at this vision.
First, a gift is promised.
A new world.
Look at verse 1 of chapter 21.
John, who sees the vision, writes,
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first earth and the first heaven had passed away.
Everything, he says, is going to be changed.
There's going to be a complete transformation in the world that we know.
There's a program on television called At Your Service.
It's about two brothers, Francis and John Brennan, who own hotels down in Kerry.
And they offer their services to help small hotels who are struggling,
near bankruptcy, and need an urgent makeover.
And they come into these small hotels.
They change the menus and the catering arrangements.
They change the decor in the lobby.
They refurbish the bedrooms, put on new wallpaper, put in new furniture.
They change the whole business plan of the hotel.
They even remove unhealthy and lazy staff.
The end result is a complete transformation.
A new order has been put in place.
Well, what these brothers do for a small hotel,
God is going to do on a cosmic scale for this universe in which we live.
Look at the end of verse 4.
He says,
The old order of things has passed away.
He who is seated on the throne, that is, the risen Lord Jesus, said,
I am making everything new.
It's hard to get our minds around it.
This world that we live in, made new.
So what's this new world going to look like?
Well, in these couple of texts, we have seven pictures,
or I've broken it into seven pictures,
to help us see what this new world is like.
First, there's the removal of fear.
I wonder what it is that you do fear in life.
Do you fear people?
Are you afraid of the future?
Maybe of dying?
Well, in this new world, there is nothing to fear
because all fear has been removed.
Look at the little phrase at the end of verse 1 of chapter 21.
There's that little phrase that says,
There was no longer any sea.
Now, when John wrote this in the first century,
the sea was a sign of threat.
We tend to think of the sea as a place of pleasure and recreation.
But in John's day, there were no yachts,
there were no jet skis flying about the place.
For them, the sea was not a safe place to go out to.
It was dangerous.
People lost their lives when they went out to sea.
But here the picture is of no more sea.
Not literally.
It's not that this new world, you're not going to have any sea.
There will be a sea.
But it's symbolically, he's meaning,
there is no longer any fear.
All the fear has been removed.
There is not fear from anyone or anything.
All fear gone.
That's the kind of world we want.
Second, there's the provision of security.
Verse 2.
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God.
Jerusalem, we know, was the capital city,
the centre of power and authority.
This is where the king lived and where the king ruled.
So it was a place of provision, a place of protection.
People came into the city to escape trouble and hardship.
They came to the city to find rest.
Well, here we're given a picture that this new world
is going to be like a fortified city.
Safe and secure.
No threat or danger or harm.
A city of freedom and joy.
A place without worry or concern.
This is the kind of world we all long for.
The third picture that we get is of the presence of God
in this place.
Verse 3.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
Now the dwelling of God is with men
and he will live with them.
They will be his people
and God himself will be with them
and be their God.
Now we all enjoy friendships and relationships.
But this is the ultimate relationship that we were made for.
This is why God created us.
That we would be made for him
and to be with him.
This is where we are finally satisfied and fulfilled.
The God who made the universe in all his power.
Who is rich in mercy,
full of justice,
faithful in love,
gentle and compassionate.
It tells us that we will be with him.
We will live with him.
And he will be with us.
We will see him.
It will be like the coming together of a husband and wife
in all its beauty and intimacy.
Look at the end of verse 2
where it talks about the new Jerusalem,
the city coming down prepared as a bride,
beautifully dressed for her husband.
This coming together,
this unity with God
that we will never be separated.
This permanent relationship.
In this new world,
we will be with God.
Get our minds around it
that we will see him
and we will live with him
and talk to him
in ways that we have never known before.
The presence of God.
And in this place,
there will be the absence
of suffering.
Verse 4.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death
or mourning
or crying
or pain.
Every one of us here
has experienced
some kind of pain and suffering.
Sometimes it's through our own illness.
Sometimes it's through the sickness
of someone we love.
And it's painful
when somebody suffers
because most of the time
we just can't do anything about it.
We can't fix it.
And sadly,
all suffering
results
in death.
And none of us like death
because it ends
everything that is good.
It steals away
our friends
and our family.
It spoils
and robs us
of our joy
and our happiness.
And when those we love
closest to us
we grieve
the heartache
the loneliness
and it never ever
seems to go away.
But look at the picture here
in verse 4.
In this new world
there is no more suffering.
There is no more death.
No more hospitals
to visit.
No more funerals
to attend.
Look at the next picture.
Not only is there
the absence of suffering
but there is
the abundance of life.
Look at chapter 22
verse 1.
The angel showed me
the river
of the water
of life
as clear as crystal
flowing from the throne
of God
and of the Lamb
down the middle
of the great street
of the city.
Here we have this river
this water of life.
It pictures
the abundance
of life
that there will be.
Life itself
will be flowing
flowing from the very source
from God's throne
right down
through the city
to the people of God.
A continuous stream
that nourishes
and provides
and sustains
all things.
We live in a world
where death
is at work
where death
destroys
and disease
corrupts
but in this
new world
there will be
life
and it will change
and transform
everything.
On each side
the rest of verse 2
of the river
stood
the tree of life
bearing 12 crops
of fruit
yielding its fruit
every month.
This river of life
in all its
bountifulness
produces
a tree of life
which is there
for all the people
to feed from
and to enjoy
and notice
the way
this tree is.
It produces
fruit
every month.
It's never ending
in its supply
of goodness.
It pictures
this abundance
and plenty
that there will be.
People in this
new world
will never be thirsty.
They will never
be hungry.
Everything they need
for is provided.
But more than that
look at the rest
of verse 2.
And the leaves
of the tree
are for the healing
of the nations.
I'm sure you've all
had a nettle sting
at some stage
and you're all told
to get a little
dock leaf
rub it on your arm
until the sting
goes away.
I don't know
if it ever did
but that's what
we were told to do.
Well here we're told
something that is true.
the leaves
of this tree
will bring
full and complete
healing.
It's giving us
a picture
of what God
is going to do.
All the emotional
scars
that people carry.
All the physical
hurts
from our lives.
The mental
wounds.
The spiritual
pain.
It's all
healed.
It's all
rubbed away.
never to break
us
or crush
us
again.
This is
abundant
life
renewed
and restored
to what it
should be.
And I guess
picturing all of
these things
together
we're told
in verse 3
that the curse
is lifted.
No longer
will there be
any
curse.
because the
world that we
live in
and that we
experience
right now
is under
a curse.
That's why
things break.
That's why
relationships
go wrong.
Because of our
rebellion against
God.
Because of our
sinful actions
and our
hard hearts.
Life doesn't
function the
way it's
meant to.
There's a
frustration
about life.
It's damaged
and broken.
We don't
enjoy work
as we should.
We don't
enjoy the
things around
us as we
should because
things have
gone wrong.
But in this
new world
the curse
has been
lifted.
It's been
taken away.
Life is
given its
freedom to
be able to
flourish.
Instead of
death and
disease there
will be
beauty and
harmony.
And in
this world
we will
also flourish.
We will be
everything that
God intends
us to be.
Look at the
rest of verse
three.
The throne
of God
and of
the Lamb
will be
in the
city and
his servants
that's his
people will
serve him.
They will
be working.
They will
see his
face.
Picture that
looking at
God and
seeing him
and his
name will
be on their
foreheads.
It's like
your passport,
your entrance
into the
new world.
God's
residents,
his people
in his
city,
in his
kingdom,
serving their
good and
kind master,
creating and
building and
playing and
doing all
that we
ought to be
doing.
The chains
of the
curse have
been untied
and the
freedom of
life is
enjoyed.
And look
at the last
little picture
that we get
in verse
five.
there is
the end
of all
evil.
There will
be no
more
night.
When it
says no
more night
it's like
what it
said in
chapter 21
no more
sea.
Night
is a
symbol
of the
evil
darkness
that rules
our world.
The dark
forces that
cause so
much havoc
and harm.
But look
at verse
five.
they will
not need
the light
of a
lamp or
the light
of the
sun for
the Lord
God will
give them
light and
they will
reign forever
and forever.
In this
new world
the light
of God
will banish
the darkness
of evil.
The work
and the
ways of
Satan will
be removed
never ever
to influence
again,
never to
harm again.
Instead of
a world
that is
broken with
evil and
all the
violence and
all the
crime that
we see
and read
about on
our news
every single
day,
it will
be gone.
No more
sin,
no more
temptation,
no more
bad things.
This new
world will
see the
end of
all evil.
And so
through these
chapters and
through these
verses,
we've got
this amazing
colourful
picture of
the world
that is
to come.
Can you
see what
is being
promised?
Can you
see this
amazing gift
that is
being offered?
The kind
of world
that we
all long
for.
There's not
one person
that you
know that
you work
with or
live beside
or socialise
with who
wouldn't say,
I don't
want this.
Everything
broken
is fixed.
All that
is old
and disordered
will be
replaced by
something new
and beautiful.
Verse 6,
the angel
said to me,
these words
are trustworthy
and true.
This is not
make-believe.
This is not
Santa Claus.
This is all
promised by
the true
and risen
Lord Jesus.
So the
gift
has been
promised
and the
gift is
offered
a way
in.
You see,
like every
gift,
we want to
know how
we can
have it.
So let's
see how
we can
get this
promise.
Have a
look at
chapter 22
verse 14.
It says,
blessed are
those who
wash
their robes
that they
may have
the right
to the
tree of
life
and may
go through
the gates
into the
city.
You see,
he's telling
us clearly
there is a
way into
this new
world.
There's a
way to get
access to
the tree
of life.
There's a
way to
this abundant
fruit and
the leaves
of healing.
There's a
way through
the gates
into the
city where
there is
no more
evil,
suffering or
fear.
We can
get there.
How?
Look what it
says at the
beginning of
verse 14.
Blessed are
those who
wash their
robes.
It's telling
us that we
need to be
made clean
and pure
so that we
can go into
the clean
and pure
and good
world.
Go back
to chapter
7 of
Revelation.
Keep your
finger there
in Revelation
22 but go
back to
chapter 7.
Here in
an earlier
vision we
see all
this huge
crowd,
this multitude
from all
different kinds
of nations
and they're
all part of
this new
world and
the one who's
speaking in
the vision is
wanting to
know where
they came
from and
how they
got to be
there.
So we
pick it up
in verse 13
of chapter
7.
Then one of
the elders
asked me,
these in
white robes,
who are they
and where
did they come
from?
Like how did
they get to
be in here?
I answered,
sir, you
know.
And he said,
these are they
who have come
out of the
great tribulation.
These are the
people who've
gone through
this world and
all its
suffering and
all the hard
things.
They have
washed their
robes and
made them
white in
the blood
of the
lamb.
Go back
to Revelation
22.
You see,
he's telling
us there that
we need to
have our
robes washed.
Now it
sounds messy,
doesn't it,
to be washing
your clothes
in lamb's
blood?
But I think
we know what
it's saying.
This is
picture language.
It's
talking about
the death
of the
Lord Jesus
when Jesus
the lamb
died on
the cross,
when his
blood was
spilt.
It was
God's
means of
washing away
sin.
It was a
way to
clean us
and to
make us
right.
You could
imagine a
young man
going to
his
girlfriend's
house for
the first
time,
to have
dinner,
to meet
the parents.
Maybe you
remember that
time.
And unless
he was a
right nut
job,
he would
spend his
time getting
himself washed
and cleaned
up and
scrubbed up,
all the
dirt and
grime
removed,
all so that
he would be
welcomed and
accepted into
the family.
now if we're
going to be
welcomed and
accepted into
God's new
world, into
his family,
into his
kingdom, then
we need to
be cleaned.
Not on the
outside, but
deep on the
inside.
And this is
why we come
to Christ,
why we come
to Jesus, to
find that
forgiveness, that
cleaning, that
washing away of
all our sin,
past, present
and future, all
our guilt and
shame gone.
blessed, verse
14, are those
who wash their
robes, who've
come to Jesus,
that they may
have the right,
the audacity to
be able to go
into that new
world because
we've come to
Christ, and to
go to the tree
of life, and to
walk through the
gates of that
city.
But please read
this carefully.
Please read
this carefully.
Because it is
only those who
come to Jesus,
it is only
those who have
been washed,
that will have
access to the
tree and walk
through the city
gates.
Look at verse
15.
Outside,
outside this
new world,
are the
dogs, meaning
the outsiders,
those who
practice magic
arts, the
sexually immoral,
the murderers,
the idolaters,
and everyone
who loves and
practices
falsehood.
does that
mean that
those who
do enter
are somehow
better than
everybody else
or less
sinful than
other people?
No, the
point is we're
all messed up,
we're all
broken people.
We've all
done these
things that
are in verse
15 in one
way or another,
not necessarily
in action,
but in
thought.
through our
minds.
The only
difference between
the group in
verse 14 and
the group in
verse 15 is
that those who
are in verse
14 have seen
their sin.
They've accepted
responsibility for
it and they
have come to
Jesus and they
have asked and
they have longed
for that cleaning
and for that
washing.
Those who are
outside have
refused it and
rejected it.
what a
difference.
Unless we
come to
him, we
do not have
access to the
tree of life.
We will not
enter the city
gates.
And I know
we know that.
But many
people don't
know that.
this wonderful
gift, the
way that we
can actually
enter in,
we have
something to
say to
people.
But not
only is this
gift promised
and not only
is it offered,
it is
experienced.
Jesus has
promised us a
wonderful gift
and through
Jesus we
can enjoy
that gift.
But does
that mean we
have to wait
for it?
We've sung
about it this
morning, we've
thought about it,
do we have to
wait until we
get to it?
Well the answer
to that is yes
and no.
Yes we do
have to wait,
we do have to
be patient,
because the
new world
will only
come when
the Lord
Jesus returns
and puts
everything right.
But no,
we don't
have to
wait,
because that
new life
has already
begun in
Christ now.
It's not
all in the
future.
It begins
right here,
right now.
Have a look
with me please
in 2
Corinthians
chapter 5.
2
Corinthians
chapter 5.
In
Revelation
we're thinking
of a new
heaven and
a new
earth,
the old
order passing
away,
a new
order brought
in,
a new
creation,
a new
world.
Well look
what happens
when we
turn to
Jesus.
Chapter 5
verse 17.
Read it,
see what it
says.
Therefore,
if anyone
is in
Christ,
they are
a new
creation.
The old
has gone
and the
new
has come.
Do you
see what it's
saying?
What God
is going to
do on a
cosmic scale
to the whole
world and
to the whole
universe,
what he
will do,
God has
already done
and is
doing in
our lives
right now.
That means
we don't
have to
wait for
it all
to come.
The old
is replaced
with the
new.
We have
begun a
new life.
The old
life is
over.
A new
life has
begun for
those who
are in
Christ who
have come
to him
and who
have accepted
his washing
and his
cleansing.
We are
nothing less
than a
new
creation.
Now that
doesn't mean
we experience
everything now
that has been
promised,
that great
big list of
pictures that
we went
through.
That will
come to
us.
But it
also means
that right
now as
believers we
begin to
taste something
of what is
to come.
The other
day I
had literally
that size
a piece
of Christmas
cake.
A little
tiny taste.
And I
ate it and
I thought
Christmas is
coming.
Dinner is
coming.
All the
food that
we're going
to enjoy.
But it
was just
a taste.
It reminded
me of all
that is to
come.
Well because
we're in
Christ and
because we're
a new
creation,
we have
so much
now to
enjoy.
We can
enjoy the
presence of
God.
We do
have a
relationship
with our
Father in
Heaven.
The intimacy
of talking
to Him.
That is
something
amazing.
We do
live without
fear today
of anyone
or anything.
Why?
Because God
is with us.
The maker
of this
universe is
in us by
the power
of His
Holy Spirit.
He has
our future
taken care
of.
What is
there to
fear?
And He's
given us
His Spirit
to fight
and overcome
sin.
We don't
have to
say yes
to sin.
We don't
have to
give in
to temptation.
Because He's
given us
His power
to be able
to fight
it and to
do battle
against it.
to resist
Satan
and his
temptation.
And
while we
may go
through
suffering
but He
has given
us the
strength
and the
grace to
cope with
it.
To see
that it
is God's
means of
changing
us and
equipping
us and
preparing
us.
We have
so much
now.
And we
have eternal
hope in
the face
of death.
We know
that when we
die and when
we face the
grave we
have a
future beyond.
And we
have true
life, real
life, meaning
and purpose
in Jesus
Christ.
Yes the
best is yet
to come
but all
of that
life has
begun now
in the
present.
Look at
chapter 5
verse 17
again.
Therefore
if anyone
is in
Christ they
are a
new creation.
The old
has gone
and the
new
has
come.
What a
gift
we have
been given.
You will
not find a
better gift
than this.
And what a
gift
we can
give
to a
world that
is desperately
in need.
And through
Jesus
that gift
is offered
and that
gift can be
experienced
right now
today.
Let's pray.
Father, would
you please
forgive us
for thinking
at times
that we
have nothing
help us
to see
clearly
the wonderful
gift that
you have
given to
us through
your son
the Lord
Jesus.
Thank you
that we
have so
much to
look forward
to.
A new
heaven and
a new
earth.
But we
thank you
that that
life has
begun
today.
and we
thank you
that we
are a
new
creation.
We have
a new
way to
live.
With the
blessing of
God upon
us, the
power of
his Holy
Spirit, a
relationship
with our
Father in
heaven, the
right to be
called your
children.
We thank
you so
much for
all that we
have and
all that we
enjoy because
of you.
we thank
you for
this amazing
gift.
And we
pray, Father,
as we have
been praying,
that you
would open
up an
opportunity
for each
one of us
here to
be able to
offer,
tell,
or explain
to someone
this amazing
gift that
we can
have.
love.
We pray
that we
will experience
it more
and more
in our
own lives,
bring it
to a
reality in
us.
But we
pray also
that many
others,
friends and
family,
would
experience
this gift
too.
We ask
for your
help in
doing this.
In Jesus'
name we all
pray.
Amen.