I have a question for all of you.
How many of you like to go to the back of the book and read the last chapter to know how it ends?
You don't have to raise your hands.
I'm not going to out you.
But I know there are some of you.
Usually, I prefer to let the story unfold, allowing the author and the storyteller to unfurl the movement of the drama.
To see where, to feel the tension points as it unfolds.
Looking forward, always, to the end.
To see how it will resolve or not resolve, depending on how dystopian your novel is.
But the one Bible that I like to read, or the one book that I like to read the end of, is the Bible, however.
Because it answers all the questions like, where is this all going?
And what will the end of the world be like?
And where do I fit into all of that?
When you look at the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, this was a book written, now 2,000 years ago, written to the church in Rome, suffering, persecution, and trial.
Going through a hard time when Christianity was not accepted and where people believed false things about them.
And where they suffered cruelly and terribly.
They were asking the questions, whose kingdom will really reign?
God's or Caesar's?
Who really has the greater power?
The gospel or Rome?
God's or Caesar's?
And what will become of us?
Because it sure feels like we're losing and dying.
Those may be feelings that connect with your life as well.
You may be facing trials in your own life that make you feel like you're losing and dying and wondering.
Is there a God who can help me?
Is his power great enough to actually rescue me from my current circumstances?
Some of you may be walking through trials like that right now.
Some of them, some of you are not.
You're in a good place.
And yet to know these truths is to prepare you for inevitably the time that will come when you will walk through hard times.
And hard trials.
Personally, as I've thought through, as I've prepared this sermon, I've been encouraged to think through the last eight years of my own life.
As I've walked through my late wife's, Brandy's diagnosis of cancer, treatment, her going home to be with the Lord a few years ago.
There certainly have been times when I couldn't see whose power was greater.
I couldn't see the goodness in the moment.
There certainly are times when I thought, I don't know how I can make it through.
And yet, it's the truths of the book of Revelation that kept me going.
To know the end has carried me through to this point.
And continues to carry me through today.
And I hope that this will be true for you as well.
So we're going to turn today to the book of Revelation.
We're going to turn to chapter 21.
That's page, I brought my bulletin this time so I remember.
977.
Turn to page 977 in your pew Bible.
And if you have your own Bible, that's great.
If you didn't bring one, pick up that pew Bible today.
Because we're going to be flipping around a little bit.
We're going to read a passage.
But we're going to be reading a few passages in the near vicinity of that as well.
And I'd love to have you be able to read along with me.
And you may be wondering, why are we doing this?
Why are we talking about Revelation and the end of the Bible?
Because we've been preaching for this fall on the book of Genesis and the book of beginnings.
And how God began the world and his purposes in creating it.
And what we want to do is to show you how the book of Genesis sets up this long storyline.
And we're going to skip to the end and read in Revelation 21.
About how God ties up some major themes that he's raised in the series this fall.
We're going to learn about what's the end of creation.
Where is this all going?
We're going to learn about the reality of sin and judgment.
And where is that going to end?
And we're going to learn about the fate of humanity.
And this is what we're going to see as we look at Revelation.
Revelation as the capstone of our series on the book of Genesis.
So that's where we're going.
And that's what we're doing this morning.
So let's go ahead and read together Revelation chapter 21 verses 1 through 8.
Revelation chapter 21 verses 1 through 8.
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 is 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.
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 the 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.
Will you pray with me?
Lord, I praise you this morning for your word.
Lord, for how you inspired writers throughout decades and centuries to reveal yourself.
Lord, how these voices from different times and places testify about you.
And what kind of God you are.
Lord, I pray this morning that you would help us to see the beauty of you in all that you are.
And Lord, the wonderful gift that it is to have the Bible to know you.
God, I pray for your help this morning that you might give me clarity of thought and of speech.
And Lord, for all of us that our hearts would be soft and receptive.
That as your spirit, Lord, works in us today.
That we would hear, Lord, and apply your word.
Jesus, we ask these things in your name.
Amen.
So as we look at these eight verses as representative of a bit of there's actually about three chapters here where there's a lot going on.
And we spared you a long reading of apocalyptic literature.
Which has lots of really interesting and fascinating and sometimes distracting imagery.
We're going to try to focus on these three grand themes of Genesis and how they work themselves out in Revelation.
And the first thing that we see is what happens with creation.
Creation will be healed.
Remember what we saw in Genesis.
That God began with a watery chaos.
And he took this watery chaos and he brought it into a form.
He separated out.
Remember night and day.
Land and sea.
Sky and earth.
He separated these things out to give form.
And then he filled that form with life.
Life in the sun and the moon and the sky.
And life with plants and animals on the land and in the air and on the sea.
And finally the pinnacle of life being humanity created in God's image.
And yet then we see that this creation was cursed by the fall of man and the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden.
And so we wonder what happens.
Because we've known nothing less than this our whole lives.
We have known nothing less than a cursed creation.
Where work is hard.
And where the world we live in is full of sickness and death.
Of decay and disease.
Of the second law of thermodynamics for heaven's sakes.
That we tend towards chaos.
Will it ever be good again?
Is the question that we ask about creation.
And Revelation steps in.
And in Revelation 21.1 it says.
This is the Apostle John receiving these visions from the Lord and writing them down.
He says,
What we see is that God rebuilds the forms anew.
And the forms are different.
Isn't it interesting?
There is no sea.
There is no watery chaos to be conquered anymore.
In the eternal state there will be a world that will have this perfect form.
That could never go back.
And not only will there be no sea.
As you see in verse 2.
But also as we look further.
If you want to look down chapter 21 verses 23 and following.
It talks about the fact there will be no sun.
And there will be no moon.
And it says that there will be no more night.
In chapter 22 verse 5.
And part of what we need to see is that the normal rhythms of life.
That God had created in the original form.
Are not only going to be made new.
They're going to be made new in a greater way.
Because now instead of those things.
Instead of a watery chaos or a sea.
There will be a river of life.
Flowing through the place where God's people will live.
And instead of there being a sun and a moon in the sky.
There will be God himself.
And he will be the light.
That will light them in their lives.
And this is the eternal state that we see.
That God is renewing and making even greater these forms.
So there will be no more days.
But eternity.
But these aren't just forms for their own sake.
But they're forms for the flourishing of life.
And so you see in verse 6 of the passage we read in 21.6.
To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
The invitation for all to come and to drink from God who is the source of all life.
And who in this new creation has created a river that will never stop flowing.
And a river that will always have life abundantly there.
And as you look ahead.
Look with me at the beginning of chapter 22 really quickly.
Verses 1 and 2.
There's a river of the water of life bright as crystal flowing from the throne of God.
And the lamb.
And through the middle of the...
It's flowing through the middle of the street of the city.
And also on either side of the river.
The tree of life with its 12 kinds of fruit yielding each...
Yielding its fruit each month.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Do you remember the tree of life that God had to guard, block off from sinful humanity?
Because of their rebellion against him?
The tree of life that they might have eaten in the garden and enjoyed life forever but didn't?
Because of their rebellion?
In the new heavens and the new earth.
God creates a place where the tree of life lines the river of life.
And it bears fruit in every season.
This is where the apocalyptic imagery...
We need to be a little careful to not overdo it.
Because I just said there are no seasons.
And now there are seasons.
Because there are 12 months, right?
Well, let's go with it.
The apocalyptic literature, it's images.
So what's the image trying to say?
There will always be abundant fruit.
There will always be a fruit that will feed the people who are there forever.
And it will be a life-giving fruit.
What had been barred off because of sin now is available for all who are in the people of God.
And not only do we have life, but we see...
Go back to chapter 21, verse 7.
The second half of this.
The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son.
And sonship here...
Yes, it's a gendered term, but it has a positional force to it.
You will be the precious, honored, firstborn in my family.
That would have been understood in a traditional context.
And we need to see that we're gathering it up.
And we're saying that in God's son, Jesus, all of us, men and women, become his precious children.
His precious sons and daughters.
And his name will be written on our foreheads.
That's what chapter 22, verse 4 tells us.
That we will actually have God's name.
He will...
Again, imagery, right?
He's not branding us.
Imagery.
That we...
He will say, you are mine and I am yours forever.
And we will finally have a family that we will not lose.
And we will finally have a place to belong that we never had.
We will be restored fully in the image of God, male and female, to be his people forever.
This new creation is characterized by a remaking where life flourishes eternally, without failure, without end, and with greater glory.
So what are we to make of this?
How do we apply this to our life today?
There are so many applications to these principles.
But, you know, one of the ones that struck me was, sometimes I think we're afraid that heaven will be boring.
That harps and clouds and people wearing long white robes just looks really bland and really vanilla.
But what I want you to see is that what God is doing in recreating, making new the forms of his creation and the life-giving impulse is that we are going to experience life like we've never done it before.
Think even of just the way we experience creation.
Have you been in Teton National Park?
And the warmth of the rays of the sun catch the tips of the snow-capped peaks in the morning?
It's thrilling.
Have you been in Teton National Park?
Have you been in a place where you've been able to see, whether it's Florida or California or Hawaii or some other part of the world,
where you've been able to watch the sun set over the ocean,
and the sky light up with a brilliant chromatic hues,
to be captivated by it?
And maybe even closer to Earth, have you just walked Hamanasset Beach and looked out at the greatness of the ocean?
Or hiked the hills in Chatsworth Hollow in the spring as the snow melt fills the streams?
These are the little tastes of our creation now that thrill our hearts.
Friends, we will only have this unending and with greater glory in heaven.
The Grand Canyon is not boring, nor will heaven be boring for us.
We've only tasted what is in store for us,
only sensed the greater beauty that awaits.
And it's not only us.
Not just the natural world, but human creation.
Have you ever thought of the interesting thing?
God began his creation in a garden.
But at the end, there's a city.
And I think that part of that is to recognize that
what God is doing is he's bringing his people together.
It is from God for sure, but it is, there's a humanity.
There's a beauty in what God is doing through human beings.
In our capacity to be creative, to make beautiful things,
and to have culture, and to have music,
and to have all the different ways in which we taste eternity,
even now in this fallen world.
And so what we will experience,
and the scripture isn't really detailed on this,
so I'm going out a little bit on a limb here,
but I think it's there that God is going to bring us into a place
where we're going to, all the things that we taste now,
we will get an overwhelming abundance of,
and it will never grow old,
and we will never grow tired of it,
and its beauty will be satisfying,
because it will be seen to be reflecting God
in all of his beauty and glory,
in all that we do.
And all that reflects God in part now,
we will see in full then.
And so we're reminded of the words in 1 Corinthians 2,
what no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
nor has the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him.
Friends, the renewal of creation is going to be awesome,
and we ought to be excited about it,
and look forward to it.
But it's not just that.
It's not just a utopia to look forward to,
because it also,
Revelation also helps us understand
what happens to sin,
and judgment,
and the fall.
What we see is that judgment is complete,
and sin is eradicated.
Remember what we saw in Genesis 3,
and following all the way through.
Genesis 3 was the beginning.
Sin entered the world
through the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
It entered the world,
and it corrupted and broke everything.
It broke God's relationship to man.
It broke humanity's relationship to one another,
male and female.
It broke our relationship to creation,
and all those ways.
And so the stain and the curse of sin
went everywhere.
And when we saw from that,
remember,
with Cain and Abel,
and then with Lamech,
and then every purpose of man's heart
was always only evil.
Always.
I think I added one in there,
but that's the idea,
right?
In chapter 6,
it got so bad
that God judged the world
with a flood
that destroyed everybody
so that he might remake humanity
in hopes of starting over.
And yet,
three chapters later,
they're building the Tower of Babel
and thinking,
that's a great idea.
Why don't we exalt ourselves
up to God
in rebellion against him?
And so we have this problem.
Sin has persisted.
And the stain of sin
seems to be
one that you can't get out.
What will God do with that?
Well,
we see a couple of very hopeful things here.
First,
is that in chapter 21,
verse 4,
these beautiful words,
we see that the curse
and the stain of sin
and the result of sin
is reversed.
Look with me at it.
He will wipe away
every tear from their eyes
and death shall be no more.
Neither shall there be mourning
nor crying
nor pain of any more,
nor pain anymore
for the former things
have passed away.
Friends,
the older I get,
the worse death seems.
And yet,
the older I get,
the harder life seems.
It's a really terrible thing
to put those things together.
Because you realize
that sin and death
is not the way
it was supposed to be.
Humanity was not made for this.
And yet,
they are such a constant presence
in our lives.
Some of you are 22
and really have tasted
little of this.
Praise God for that.
Enjoy it.
And be prepared
for the fact
that that will end.
I wish I could tell you
something better.
I can't.
Sorry.
Begin to put these truths
into,
and these hopes
into your heart now.
for when the reality
of sin
and the reality
of death
hits you,
you will be prepared
for them.
The curse is reversed.
There will be
no more sickness.
There will be
no more disease.
There will be
no agonizing death.
There will be
no tragic accidents.
There will be
no more death.
And there will be
no more mourning.
There will be
no more weeping
and crying.
There will be
no more hurt
or pain.
Because all
of those things
that are so
much a part
of our lives today
are the fruit
of sin.
And when God
makes the world new,
those things
will have passed
away.
in chapters 22
verse 3
it says,
no longer
will there be
anything
accursed.
So all
the ways
that the fallenness
has worked
its way out
into our world
with broken
societal systems
and broken
relationships
and broken
bodies
and broken
ecology
and all
the broken
things
of the world,
no longer
will they be
there.
and even
more than that,
even in the
spiritual realm,
the liar
and the deceiver
who wormed
his way
into the
hearts of
Adam and Eve
in the garden,
the great serpent
who if you go
back and you look
in chapter 12
is identified
as Satan
very clearly
there.
We see in the
book of Revelation,
I just didn't have
time to give you
this whole storyline,
but we see in the
book of Revelation
that this enemy
will be defeated.
In chapter 20
verse 10,
Satan is finally
defeated.
He is pictured
as a dragon
and he is thrown
into a lake
of fire
which is a picture
of eternal
judgment
where there is
no escape.
And not only
is Satan thrown
in there,
but in chapter 20
verse 14,
death and hell
itself
are also thrown
into that lake
of fire.
What we know
from this
is that the
enemies,
the spiritual
enemies of
God's people
who have sought
to attack
from the outside
to turn
God's people
away,
they are judged,
they are condemned,
and they are
defeated.
And they will
no longer
be a part
of our world.
God will
remove
the things
that cause
us harm.
Now one of
the sobering
things about
this,
you probably
noticed it
because it's
striking,
verse 8,
and this is
repeated again
later in
chapter 22,
verse,
I didn't
write this
down,
verse 15,
twice in
these two
chapters with
this grand
vision,
it says,
but not all
will be there
because those
who reject
God,
those who
choose their
sin and
refuse
to turn
towards God,
those who
continue and
make their
life characterized
by rebellion
against God,
they will
not be in
this place.
They will
not enjoy
this new
heaven and
new earth
and new
Jerusalem.
They will
not drink
from the
river of
life,
nor taste
the fruit
from the
tree of
life.
There is
a judgment
that is
coming on
all the
earth,
and it
will be
final.
this is
why the
lake of
fire and
sulfur and
the second
death,
this apocalyptic
imagery is
pointing ahead
to this
reality,
that one
day when
God redeems
the world,
it will
involve this
judgment.
It will
involve
ending sin,
and for
those who
have made
sin their
marker,
the thing
that they
embrace,
they will
be caught
up in
this judgment,
and they
will suffer
that judgment,
and it
will be
terrible.
So we
need to
know that
evil will
not continue,
and this
is a good
thing,
friends.
Though it
is a
sobering
thing,
it is a
good thing,
and many
of you
sitting here
this morning
know this.
You know
it's good
when you
watch your
family members
suffer from
chronic pain,
or addiction,
or tragic
accidents,
when you
watch life
unravel in
those you
love,
and you
want the
evil,
and the
sin,
and the
pain to
end.
some of
you have
endured
injustice
tragically
in your
own lives.
You have
been abused,
and there's
never been a
recompense.
There's never
been a
reckoning.
Some of
you look
out in the
world,
and you
look at the
great
suffering.
You look
at the
persecution
of the
powerless,
and the
oppressed,
and those
that society
counts is
not worth
it.
And your
heart cries
out,
how could
this be?
God,
why won't
you end
this?
And part
of what
Revelation
tells us
is that
he will,
and that
he does.
He will
not allow
the guilty
to go
unpunished,
and he
will end
sin by
justly
judging
all.
the
book of
Revelation
was written,
it was
written to
people who
were wondering
these things
too.
As the
corrupt nation
of Rome
got more
flagrant in
some of its
corruption,
and the
church wondered,
God,
how long,
how long
will this
last,
how long
will we
suffer,
the
righteous,
those who
seek you
and want
to know
you,
while the
world
enjoys the
pleasures of
its sin.
And Revelation
reminds us,
God will
win.
God will
win in the
end,
and he
will end
the evil,
and he
will end
the sin,
and he
will end
all of
the things
that we
rightly hate
in this
world because
they are
evil.
And in
his judgment,
he will
make it
right.
now we
have to
stop and
think,
how will
he do
this?
How will
he do
this?
Many of
you know
this story,
but just,
it's only
hinted at
here,
it's not
explained in
Revelation
21 and
22,
except that
with God
there is
this one
who is
called
the Lamb.
And you
go back
to Revelation
chapter 5,
and you
see people
worshiping
this Lamb,
worthy is
the Lamb
who was
slain,
for by
your blood
you ransomed
people for
God.
We know
that the
Lamb is
Jesus,
and that
his death
is his
death on
the cross,
and we
know that
this Lamb
is God
come to
us.
So Hebrews
2,
14 says
this about
him,
therefore
since the
children,
that is us,
children of
humanity,
share in
flesh and
blood,
he himself
likewise
partook the
same things
so that
through death,
that is
through his
death,
he might
destroy the
one who has
the power
of death,
that is
Satan,
that is
the devil,
and to
deliver all
those who
through the
fear of
death were
subject to
a lifelong
slavery.
Jesus
entered into
the curse
of humanity
and the
judgment of
God upon
the evil
that our
sin wreaks
in this
world.
He entered
in and
took that
for us
so that
all who
are in
him
might be
redeemed
and ransomed
out of
this broken
fallen world
and into
this ark,
this savior,
this,
the promised
one,
so that
all who
are in
Christ,
as Daniel
said earlier,
there is
no condemnation,
but instead
there is
life.
And this
is the
great divide,
and on
the last
day,
this will
be the
great and
tragic
divide.
For those
who are
in Christ,
they will
go into
eternity
with God
and enjoy
life with
God forever
and all
this beauty.
but for
those who
are outside
of Christ,
it will
be a
terrible
day,
for the
hope of
redemption
will finally
extinguish
and be
no more.
Which is
why the
Bible
encourages
us,
today,
if you
hear his
voice,
turn to
him.
Today,
if you
have not
put your
faith in
Christ,
turn to
him today
while you
still can,
turn to
him and
find that
he is the
savior that
you've always
wanted,
that he is
the one who
can deal
with your
sin.
Give your
life to
him and
let him
free you.
For as
Revelations
1.18 says,
he was given
the keys of
death in
Haiti under
his control
so that he
may defeat
his enemies
and give
freedom to
those who
are in
him.
So,
friends,
when you
face your
struggle,
when you
struggle to
see the
pain and
the evil
in the
world,
know that
God has
triumphed
over it.
Look to
the cross
and to
the empty
tomb.
You may
not understand
why your
particular shape
of evil has
come into
your life.
You may
not understand
why you've
had to
suffer these
certain things,
but know that
they will not
have the
last word
in your
life.
And when
you look
to the
cross and
when you
look to
the empty
tomb,
there is
hope.
The victory
is future,
but it is
certain for
God's people.
Which leads us
into the last
question,
what about the
fate of
humanity?
As we've
seen in
Genesis 1
through 12,
starting in
verse 3,
humanity has
been unerringly
lurching towards
sin and
deserving of
judgment.
Though there
have been
multiple times
or opportunities
to turn back
to God,
only a few
have done
so.
And invariably,
all of humanity
has moved
away.
So what is
going to
happen?
At the
end of
chapter 11,
remember the
Tower of
Babel?
God has
scattered the
people and
given them
different
languages to
confuse them so
they can't
unite in
their sin
against God
and in
rebellion.
So now the
people,
humanity,
are scattered,
confused,
at odds with
God and with
one another.
What will
God do
here?
Well,
what we will
see is that
God's people
will be
gathered again.
Look with
me in
Revelation 21,
verses 2 and
3.
I saw the
holy city in
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,
which is the
same word as
tabernacle in
case you
want to
know.
The dwelling
place of
God is
with
humanity.
And he
will dwell
with them
and they
will be
his people.
And God
himself will
be with
them as
their God.
again,
God is
creating a
form for
humanity to
flourish and
it is a
city,
the holy
city,
Jerusalem,
remade
new and
not built
up from
the bottom
to try to
reach God
but coming
down from
heaven.
God provides
for us the
city that we
longed for but
couldn't make
on our own.
And in
this city,
God restores
the intimacy
of humanity
in the garden
where they
walked with
God in
the cool
of the
shade.
And where
the great
gift of
marriage,
the union
of male
and female
in this
picture of
intimacy
is now
to be seen
to be this,
the fulfillment
of that is
the great
intimacy,
the union
of God
and his
people
forever.
And we
will be
known
fully
and we
will be
loved
completely
and we
will love
God
and it
will bring
us
great
joy.
The
garden
city
of this
new
Jerusalem
will be
the place
where we
as humanity
as God's
people,
those in
Christ,
will enjoy
an intimacy
with God
greater than
we can
imagine.
And it's
striking in
verse 22
of chapter 21
it says,
there is no
more temple,
right?
For the
Jews in
the Old
Testament,
the temple
was the
one place
where they
could go
and say
God was
here.
And in
the new
place,
New Jerusalem,
there will
be no
temple
because they
don't have
to go to
a building
to find
God
because God
himself
will be
among
them.
The
greater
glory of
this city
garden
temple.
Draw all
those lines
together
throughout all
of scripture
to say
this is
what it's
heading
for.
This
incredible
place
where God's
people will
be gathered
to be
with God.
And it
will have
this incredible
diversity.
One of the
remarkable
things about
what God
did at the
Tower of
Babel
is as he
scattered
people,
he created
diversity.
He created
diversity of
nations and
tribes and
tongues.
And then
he let
them grow
into the
richness.
Look around
this room,
look around
this city,
look around
the world
that we
live in.
God has
created a
humanity,
even in
its fallenness,
it has this
incredible
richness and
diversity.
And what
God is doing
at the end
of days is
gathering those
people back
together.
This is what
Revelation
chapter 7
looks to.
And then I
saw people
from every
tribe and
tongue and
nation gathered
around the
throne,
worshiping God
forever.
And the
glory of Adam
and Eve,
intimate with
God in the
garden in the
beginning,
is now
multiplied and
magnified by
us who
will get to
gather with
him.
in all the
different
backgrounds that
we have,
all the
different
languages,
all the
richness of
the culture
that we
bring,
and we
bring them
and we
lay them
at the
feet of
our king
and our
God at
his throne
and we
honor and
worship him.
And we
will see him
face to
face.
Remember
Moses up on
the mountain?
He couldn't
see God
face to
face.
And live
because of
his sin.
But when
sin is gone,
we can see
God face
to face.
And what
joy that
will be.
Maybe you
know what
it's like to
be far away
from a
loved one
for a while.
And yeah,
it's nice you
can now
WhatsApp them
or FaceTime
them.
but to
actually see
them face
to face.
What joy
it is to
be in
the presence
of the
one that
you love.
The
intimacy,
the union,
the connection
that we
have with
those.
This is what
we get with
God.
And when
you're
reunited with
that loved
one,
at least for a
while,
you think,
this is the
best ever.
And then in
our fallenness,
we get bored
and we go on
with other
stuff.
But in
heaven,
we won't
get bored
because we
will be
face to
face with
the infinite
God.
And we
will worship
him.
And we
will bask
in his
glory and
we will
enjoy his
creation.
And we
will live
this rich
life
forever.
So God
will gather
his people
and he
will dwell
with them
and they
will be
his people
and he
will be
their God.
When we
feel like
we're losing
and when we
feel like
we're dying,
this is a
great promise.
Because even
if we die
in this life
and in this
world,
we know
that that
is where
we are
going in
Christ.
That God
will gather
his people
together.
And what a
glorious day
that will
be.
Almost broke
out in a
song there.
When we
all get to
heaven,
the day of
rejoicing it
will be.
When we all
see Jesus,
we'll dance
and shout
the victory.
Sing and
shout?
I don't know.
It's close
enough.
So friends,
how do we
finish this?
How do we
wrap up this
sermon?
How do we
live now?
First,
we need to
cling to
Jesus because
all these
hopes and
all these
promises are
tied to
being in
him.
And with
great joy,
we know that
he will
cling to us.
But he
calls us
over and
over again.
Turn to
him.
Choose this
day whom you
will serve.
believe in
me.
Follow me.
Pick up
your cross.
Cling to
Jesus.
Hold on to
him through
the hardest
things of
life.
When you
feel like
it's not
worth living,
when you
feel like
all you're
doing is
losing and
dying,
turn to
him.
You will
only know
him in
part in
this life,
but seek
to know
him more
and more.
read his
word so
that you
might know
him more.
But also
gather as
his people.
Because
recognize,
friends,
that this is
the down
payment of
heaven right
here.
What we're
doing right
now, this
is why people
have said this
is the most
important thing
that happens
in all of
the earth.
Not what
happens in
Washington,
D.C.
or what
happens in
New York
City or in
Beijing or in
London or
wherever.
forever.
But this,
the gathering
of God's
people is
the most
important thing
because this
is the down
payment of
what will
be eternal.
When we
gather together,
as imperfect
as it is,
and it is
really imperfect,
you guys may
feel that,
it is not,
but this is
the place where
we get to
taste the
gathering of
God's people.
as we look
around,
recognize that
these will be
the people that
you will worship
God with for
all eternity.
And you will
look at one
another and say
brother and
sister and
know that in a
much deeper
way than you
do right now.
So value it,
treasure it,
anticipate it,
risk investing
in it.
It's worthwhile.
And hold on
to hope,
friends.
In this world
you will have
tribulation,
but I have
overcome the
world,
said Jesus.
There is a
greater glory
awaiting those
who are in
Christ.
The one who
came and said,
behold, I am
making all
things new.
Let's pray.
Lord, thank
you for this
word.
Lord, thank
you for the
vision that
you have given
John, a
glimpse even,
for there are
no words to
describe the
fullness of the
beauty and the
richness and the
glory that we
will have with
you in eternity.
Lord, I pray
this morning that
you would wean
our hearts from
our hope being
in this life
only, but
Lord, that
because you
are a risen
savior, that
we would set
our hope on
heaven, set
our hope on
these eternal
realities that
are yet to
come.
And Lord, that
by doing that
you might give
us hope to
persevere in the
present, to
cling to you
and to wait
for you and
trust ourselves
to you.
Lord, thank
you for this.
thank you that
you are the
overcoming one,
that you are
the conquering
king, that
you will be,
Lord, our
God, and we
will be your
people.
We pray this in
Jesus' name.
Amen.