WEBVTT

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 Well, we've come to the end of this communion weekend, and for those of you who have been able to be here over the course of these days, you'll know that we've been following a theme, a theme that I've called in the garden.

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 What we've been trying to do is explore, first of all, Genesis 2. We tried to explore some of the features of Genesis 2, and then on Saturday, we went into Genesis 3 and tried to extrapolate some of the teaching in Genesis 3 that helped us to understand how the perfect world that God created was spoiled

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 by the disobedience of Adam and Eve. And of course, as Paul tells us, it was at that moment that sin came into the world and spread throughout the human race and gave rise to all kinds of evil and violence and mistrust and fear and darkness and shame and everything that we know to be bad.

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 That was not the world that God created. That's the world that was spoiled because we, in Adam and Eve, we chose to disobey. We saw some of the features of Genesis 3, but we saw at the end of that chapter that while God could have destroyed the world, he chose not to.

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 Rather, there is a note of hope, a glimmer of light at the end of that chapter. And we saw that that pointed forward to the coming of Jesus and his death on the cross, by which he would crush the head of the serpent.

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 And even though the serpent got to crush his heel, which we believe to be a reference to the cross, nevertheless, the cross was the decisive victory over what the serpent had done.

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 That's why the cross is everything to a Christian. It's why what lies at the very heart of what I am tonight, and you are if you're a follower of Jesus, it's the cross.

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 It's not what we do to try to win God's favor. That's of no use whatsoever.

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 But a person who comes to see what Jesus has done on the cross and to receive his punishment as done on our behalf and to come to faith in Jesus, that's what a person who follows Jesus is all about.

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 That's what lies at the very heart of what we are.

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 And then we saw this morning at our communion service how the temptation, the Matthew 4 passage on the temptation of Jesus Christ, a passage we know so well, it refers to, it is a reenactment, if you like, or a reversal of Adam's disobedience.

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 And then again, it points towards the cross because the temptation had reference to Jesus in his ministry in preparation for his death on the cross at Calvary.

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 Now what we're going to do this evening is, if I was going to give a title to this service, it might be fast forward.

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 And I'm not even sure how fast or how far forward we have to go because I don't know when chapter 21 of Revelation is going to take place.

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 And you don't know either. We don't know when the world will come to an end.

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 The fact is that the Bible is not a collection of books.

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 It's the story of the world from the beginning to the end.

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 It has a sequence that winds its way from the first human beings to the final outcome.

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 If you take God out of the picture and try to make sense of the world without God,

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 then there are two vast unknowns.

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 One is the unknown of how and why humanity began.

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 And then there is the unknown of how it will all end.

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 You take God out of the picture, you have a massive question mark, or I should say you have two massive question marks.

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 Why are we here?

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 And when is it going to end or how it's all going to end?

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 And so while much of the content of Revelation, I'm sure you've tried to read it and have been as puzzled as I have about much of the content,

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 the symbolism and the visions that John saw,

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 while it is hard to figure out, there are certain features of it that are clear.

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 And one of them is that God will bring this present world to an end.

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 And then he will usher in what is described as the new heaven and the new earth.

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 And so the last two chapters of Revelation are the grand finale in which the whole of the Bible is summed up,

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 in which the story comes to an end, in which the plan of God comes to fruition.

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 And there is a plan of God.

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 And we're either we're faced with one of two options this evening.

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 You take God out of the picture and the whole of life is a series of random unrelated events that have no meaning whatsoever.

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 Or you put God in the picture and you come to God's word and you see that God is responsible for the beginning of the universe.

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 And he's responsible for the salvation of human beings in Jesus.

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 And he has promised that a day will come when the world will come to an end.

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 As we know it, he's also promised a recreation.

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 And so it is not without significance that the Bible begins with,

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 Genesis 1 is the answer to the first question.

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 Revelation 21 and 22 are the answer to the second question.

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 The world will come to an end, but only when and how God determines.

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 God is in control.

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 I want you to know that this evening in a world that otherwise is totally confused.

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 And if you try to find the answer outside God,

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 it will only lead to more and more confusion in your mind.

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 The answer is not out there.

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 The answer is here in what God has told us in the Bible and supremely in Jesus Christ, his son.

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 And so therefore, I hope that if you're asking the question,

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 what's it all about?

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 And so you should be.

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 What's the world all about?

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 What's humanity all about?

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 And what am I about?

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 Then please look in the right place.

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 It's not far away.

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 It's right here.

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 You don't have to go out there.

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 It's here in your hand, in the pages of the Bible,

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 in which God has made himself known to you

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 and in Jesus Christ who has come into the world to rescue us

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 and to bring us home to where we should be in God himself.

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 So Genesis 1 and Revelation 21 are the bookends,

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 the Bible's bookends, if you like,

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 with Revelation 21 promising that whatever has happened to spoil this world,

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 God has remedied it

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 and will never allow the same thing to happen again.

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 One thing that is different,

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 well, there are many things different about the recreation to the original creation,

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 but one thing is absolutely sure that there will be no chance of any further fall

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 or any more separation.

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 God has won the final victory

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 and he is going to bring all of his plans to fruition.

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 But you will have noticed as we read these two passages,

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 the striking similarity between the terminology that's used here

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 and what we've read before in Genesis 2 and 3.

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 This is God's new creation.

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 Now, I'm not going to go through this in detail.

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 We don't have time tonight.

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 What I want to do is very simply to pick out

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 some of the features of what we have read

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 and to try and make this as simple as possible.

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 I'm going to do this by whittling it down to two things.

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 The passage we've read amounts to a future promise in the first place.

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 The promise of the new heaven and the new earth.

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 That's the future promise.

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 But then, secondly,

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 you'll notice that passage contains

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 meanwhile commands.

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 Meanwhile commands.

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 And that's because

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 while it's all very well to look forward to what the Bible tells us

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 about what God's going to do one day,

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 it hasn't happened yet.

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 That's the not yet of the Bible.

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 We, meanwhile, are living in this life.

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 We've got work to do tomorrow.

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 We've got our duties to fulfill

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 in our families and wherever we live

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 and whatever our routines are.

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 We live in the here and now.

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 And so, whilst we do want to know

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 as much as we possibly can

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 about the future that God has promised,

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 we can maybe talk about some of the things

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 that are in this passage.

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 Nevertheless, we, at the same time,

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 we have to get on with life

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 as God's people here in this world.

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 And lo and behold,

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 this passage gives us guidance.

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 It gives us certain principles.

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 And if we follow them,

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 we will be blessed.

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 That's what we all want, isn't it?

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 We want to be blessed.

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 You know what that word means in the Bible?

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 I know we use it very glibly and casually sometimes,

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 but I'm talking about the way the Bible uses it.

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 The blessing of God is the happiness

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 that God brings,

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 the peace that only God brings.

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 And it's a peace that can only be found

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 in Jesus Christ.

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 That's what Paul discovered

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 when he came to faith in Jesus

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 on the road to Damascus.

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 He said, therefore,

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 having been justified by faith,

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 we have peace with God

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 through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 And that's the blessing that God promises

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 in the gospel.

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 And tonight,

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 Revelation 22

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 gives us

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 the way to peace.

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 There is only one way,

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 and that's in Jesus.

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 So, first of all then,

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 what does God promise

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 in this chapter

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 about the not yet?

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 Well, he promises

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 in chapter 21,

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 one,

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 a new heaven

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 and a new earth.

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 A new heaven.

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 And I'm sure

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 that whenever we've imagined this,

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 we've tried to imagine

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 what a new heaven

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 and a new earth

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 might be like.

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 And you take some of the imagery

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 in Revelation

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 and you try to close your eyes

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 and you try to picture

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 what heaven might be like

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 and you come up with

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 streets of gold

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 and trees

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 and gates

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 and gold

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 and this

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 and emeralds

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 and all kinds of precious stones

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 and all that.

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 Please remember

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 that Revelation

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 is symbolic.

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 And the descriptions

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 that we have

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 in Revelation

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 are symbolic.

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 The best way

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 to understand Revelation,

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 by the way,

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 is to understand

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 the Old Testament.

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 So if you know

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 your Old Testament,

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 you will be able

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 to grasp Revelation

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 a lot better

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 but only when you realize

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 that there's very little

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 in Revelation

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 of literal description.

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 It's symbolic.

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 So anytime you pick up

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 your Bible

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 and you read Revelation,

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 remember,

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 symbol,

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 symbol,

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 symbol.

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 Old Testament imagery

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 and that applies

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 to streets of gold

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 and gates

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 and all that kind of thing.

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 It applies to

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 what we read there

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 about the new Jerusalem

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 coming down.

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 No, we didn't read it.

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 It goes on.

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 It's further on

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 in chapter 21,

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 the new Jerusalem

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 with a high wall

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 and the jasper

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 and the clearest crystal

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 and all the rest of it.

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 All of these

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 are symbolic

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 but what they describe

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 is something

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 utterly,

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 utterly,

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 indescribably

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 magnificent.

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 and I believe,

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 I personally believe,

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 that the reason

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 heaven isn't described

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 in the Bible

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 is because

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 there is no

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 capacity

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 in language

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 for God

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 to tell us

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 what it's going to be like.

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 It's just impossible

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 because we're so restricted

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 by length

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 and breadth

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 and height

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 and time

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 and all of these things.

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 We're so restricted

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 but we're talking here now

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 about a different order

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 altogether,

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 a different dimension

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 and as soon as I say that,

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 I don't even understand

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 what I'm saying

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 but God does.

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 God is the God

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 who is not limited

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 by any dimensions

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 or restrictions

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 and so what God

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 promises us,

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 a new heaven

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 and a new earth

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 in which there will be

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 perfect bliss

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 and unbroken

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 happiness

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 for all

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 his people.

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 But it does appear

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 that there will be

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 a connection

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 between

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 the earth

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 but not as we know it,

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 the earth that has been

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 cleansed

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 and glorified

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 and stripped away

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 of all the evil influences

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 and the impacts

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 that have been

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 on the earth.

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 There will be

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 this unification.

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 It's interesting,

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 isn't it,

00:14:56.660 --> 00:14:57.900
 that it tells us

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 that there'll be

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 a new heaven

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 and a new earth.

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 There seems to be

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 a promise

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 of a unification

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 of what now is heaven

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 and what now is earth

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 in perfection

00:15:07.340 --> 00:15:08.420
 when God has brought

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 this world

00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:09.660
 as we know it

00:15:09.660 --> 00:15:10.960
 to an end.

00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:12.680
 Right now,

00:15:12.740 --> 00:15:13.680
 heaven is separated

00:15:13.680 --> 00:15:14.879
 from the earth

00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:15.960
 but a time will come

00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:17.540
 when that separation

00:15:17.540 --> 00:15:18.980
 will disappear.

00:15:18.980 --> 00:15:20.680
 It's also clear

00:15:20.680 --> 00:15:21.639
 that heaven

00:15:21.639 --> 00:15:22.399
 will consist

00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.259
 of angels.

00:15:25.560 --> 00:15:26.039
 Angels.

00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:28.519
 Lots of angels

00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:29.360
 in Revelations.

00:15:29.500 --> 00:15:30.220
 There's angels

00:15:30.220 --> 00:15:30.680
 all the way

00:15:30.680 --> 00:15:31.300
 through the Bible.

00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:31.800
 There are angels

00:15:31.800 --> 00:15:32.580
 at the very beginning.

00:15:32.740 --> 00:15:33.159
 There are angels

00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:33.680
 all the way there.

00:15:33.779 --> 00:15:34.600
 Angels at the birth

00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:35.080
 of Jesus.

00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:36.800
 Angels at the resurrection.

00:15:37.060 --> 00:15:37.820
 Angels in the book

00:15:37.820 --> 00:15:38.399
 of Acts.

00:15:38.779 --> 00:15:39.899
 We know that they exist.

00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:41.200
 We don't want to spend

00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:42.360
 too much time on them

00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:43.120
 because we don't want

00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:44.159
 to obsess over it

00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:45.279
 but we do know

00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:47.159
 that God has created

00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:48.740
 other rational beings

00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:51.919
 and they have a purpose.

00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:53.720
 They serve him.

00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:55.279
 We don't see them.

00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:56.460
 At least I've never

00:15:56.460 --> 00:15:56.960
 seen one

00:15:56.960 --> 00:15:58.419
 but we know

00:15:58.419 --> 00:15:59.159
 that they are there

00:15:59.159 --> 00:15:59.759
 and we know

00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:01.460
 that they populate

00:16:01.460 --> 00:16:03.340
 God's presence.

00:16:04.659 --> 00:16:06.180
 But more immediately

00:16:06.180 --> 00:16:06.960
 to us

00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:08.799
 heaven will also

00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:10.200
 consist of

00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:11.379
 saints

00:16:11.379 --> 00:16:13.700
 and by that

00:16:13.700 --> 00:16:14.379
 I don't mean

00:16:14.379 --> 00:16:15.799
 super Christians

00:16:15.799 --> 00:16:16.779
 Christians who have

00:16:16.779 --> 00:16:18.419
 earned a certain

00:16:18.419 --> 00:16:19.059
 level

00:16:19.059 --> 00:16:20.479
 in their lives

00:16:20.479 --> 00:16:21.899
 by that

00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:22.479
 I mean

00:16:22.479 --> 00:16:24.699
 men and women

00:16:24.699 --> 00:16:25.639
 boys and girls

00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:27.120
 who have trusted

00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:27.659
 and followed

00:16:27.659 --> 00:16:28.479
 Jesus Christ

00:16:28.479 --> 00:16:30.459
 and they have

00:16:30.459 --> 00:16:31.379
 lived in this world

00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:31.759
 and they have

00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:32.139
 struggled

00:16:32.139 --> 00:16:32.620
 and they have

00:16:32.620 --> 00:16:33.479
 fallen sometimes

00:16:33.479 --> 00:16:34.659
 and they have

00:16:34.659 --> 00:16:35.299
 sinned often

00:16:35.299 --> 00:16:36.799
 and yet

00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:38.039
 they have

00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:39.339
 followed Jesus.

00:16:39.539 --> 00:16:40.019
 They have lived

00:16:40.019 --> 00:16:40.899
 and died

00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:42.120
 as followers

00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:43.539
 of their Savior

00:16:43.539 --> 00:16:45.480
 and God

00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:46.159
 has taken them

00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:47.019
 from this world

00:16:47.019 --> 00:16:47.879
 and he has

00:16:47.879 --> 00:16:49.000
 transferred them

00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:50.919
 into his

00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:51.539
 presence.

00:16:52.199 --> 00:16:53.179
 They're there now

00:16:53.179 --> 00:16:54.179
 right now.

00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:55.819
 When I leave

00:16:55.819 --> 00:16:56.379
 this world

00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:57.219
 I expect

00:16:57.219 --> 00:16:58.779
 that I will not

00:16:58.779 --> 00:17:00.159
 experience death.

00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:01.860
 I expect

00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:02.959
 that I will be

00:17:02.959 --> 00:17:03.980
 taken immediately

00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:06.599
 to the presence

00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:07.159
 of God

00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:08.300
 and that's

00:17:08.300 --> 00:17:08.820
 what you should

00:17:08.820 --> 00:17:09.640
 expect as well

00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:10.440
 if you are a

00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:10.800
 believer

00:17:10.800 --> 00:17:12.480
 in Jesus.

00:17:13.580 --> 00:17:13.900
 It's the only

00:17:13.900 --> 00:17:14.620
 way to get there

00:17:14.620 --> 00:17:15.980
 by believing

00:17:15.980 --> 00:17:16.620
 trusting

00:17:16.620 --> 00:17:17.560
 in Jesus.

00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:18.759
 We'll talk about

00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:19.580
 that a little bit

00:17:19.580 --> 00:17:20.240
 later on.

00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:21.660
 What is the

00:17:21.660 --> 00:17:22.400
 catechism says

00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:23.060
 the souls of

00:17:23.060 --> 00:17:23.860
 believers are at

00:17:23.860 --> 00:17:24.320
 their death

00:17:24.320 --> 00:17:25.340
 made perfect

00:17:25.340 --> 00:17:25.860
 in holiness

00:17:25.860 --> 00:17:26.600
 and they do

00:17:26.600 --> 00:17:27.640
 immediately

00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:29.040
 pass into

00:17:29.040 --> 00:17:29.480
 glory

00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:30.200
 and their bodies

00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:30.700
 being still

00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:31.540
 united to Christ

00:17:31.540 --> 00:17:33.000
 rest in the grave

00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:33.680
 until the

00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:34.279
 resurrection.

00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:36.559
 So God's

00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:37.180
 promise is

00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:37.839
 that the new

00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:38.319
 heaven and the

00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:38.859
 new earth

00:17:38.859 --> 00:17:40.539
 will be populated

00:17:40.539 --> 00:17:41.740
 by people

00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:42.960
 his people.

00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:44.339
 It's also clear

00:17:44.339 --> 00:17:45.200
 that this

00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:46.079
 heavenly earth

00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:46.460
 or this

00:17:46.460 --> 00:17:47.539
 earthly heaven

00:17:47.539 --> 00:17:48.160
 or whatever you

00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:48.660
 want to call it

00:17:48.660 --> 00:17:49.460
 the new heaven

00:17:49.460 --> 00:17:49.920
 and the new

00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:50.339
 earth is

00:17:50.339 --> 00:17:51.420
 indestructible

00:17:51.420 --> 00:17:53.339
 or imperishable.

00:17:53.460 --> 00:17:54.180
 The first earth

00:17:54.180 --> 00:17:55.160
 was subject

00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:55.920
 to failure.

00:17:57.379 --> 00:17:57.740
 And then

00:17:57.740 --> 00:18:01.660
 we also have

00:18:01.660 --> 00:18:02.599
 to avoid

00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:03.460
 trying to

00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:03.879
 picture

00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:04.440
 heaven

00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:05.560
 according to

00:18:05.560 --> 00:18:06.000
 time.

00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:06.900
 We think of

00:18:06.900 --> 00:18:07.340
 eternity

00:18:07.340 --> 00:18:08.000
 and we think

00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:08.280
 of well

00:18:08.280 --> 00:18:08.560
 it's going

00:18:08.560 --> 00:18:08.920
 to be so

00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:09.380
 long isn't

00:18:09.380 --> 00:18:09.480
 it?

00:18:09.560 --> 00:18:09.740
 I mean

00:18:09.740 --> 00:18:11.120
 even a year

00:18:11.120 --> 00:18:11.420
 and hour

00:18:11.420 --> 00:18:12.160
 experience is

00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:13.000
 just so long

00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:13.680
 or ten years

00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:14.120
 or whatever

00:18:14.120 --> 00:18:15.960
 and I can't

00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:16.300
 imagine.

00:18:16.560 --> 00:18:17.800
 Well that's

00:18:17.800 --> 00:18:18.660
 because we

00:18:18.660 --> 00:18:19.260
 only think of

00:18:19.260 --> 00:18:19.660
 things in

00:18:19.660 --> 00:18:20.280
 terms of

00:18:20.280 --> 00:18:21.720
 our life.

00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:22.320
 But remember

00:18:22.320 --> 00:18:22.740
 what I said

00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:23.320
 before that

00:18:23.320 --> 00:18:23.680
 we're talking

00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:24.100
 about different

00:18:24.100 --> 00:18:25.140
 dimension here.

00:18:26.040 --> 00:18:26.420
 And so

00:18:26.420 --> 00:18:27.280
 let's try

00:18:27.280 --> 00:18:28.520
 and avoid

00:18:28.520 --> 00:18:30.340
 thinking about

00:18:30.340 --> 00:18:30.900
 heaven

00:18:30.900 --> 00:18:32.460
 in terms

00:18:32.460 --> 00:18:33.600
 of our

00:18:33.600 --> 00:18:34.380
 measurements.

00:18:35.100 --> 00:18:36.080
 So whatever

00:18:36.080 --> 00:18:37.120
 image you've

00:18:37.120 --> 00:18:37.660
 had or

00:18:37.660 --> 00:18:38.320
 formulated in

00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:38.620
 your mind

00:18:38.620 --> 00:18:39.040
 is probably

00:18:39.040 --> 00:18:39.480
 wrong.

00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:41.620
 And not

00:18:41.620 --> 00:18:42.140
 only is it

00:18:42.140 --> 00:18:42.800
 wrong but

00:18:42.800 --> 00:18:43.220
 what God

00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:43.680
 has planned

00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:44.880
 is a million

00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:45.680
 times more

00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:46.440
 magnificent than

00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:47.019
 we can ever

00:18:47.019 --> 00:18:47.440
 imagine.

00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:49.920
 what we do

00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:50.640
 know about

00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:51.880
 the promise

00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:52.640
 is that the

00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:53.240
 dwelling of

00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:53.920
 God will be

00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:55.100
 amongst men.

00:18:56.059 --> 00:18:56.640
 The glory

00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:57.500
 of God

00:18:57.500 --> 00:18:58.200
 will take

00:18:58.200 --> 00:18:58.920
 the centre

00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:00.500
 place in

00:19:00.500 --> 00:19:01.080
 this new

00:19:01.080 --> 00:19:01.680
 existence

00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:03.580
 and God's

00:19:03.580 --> 00:19:04.420
 people will

00:19:04.420 --> 00:19:05.360
 forever in

00:19:05.360 --> 00:19:06.240
 some kind

00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.840
 of magnificent

00:19:07.840 --> 00:19:08.539
 way

00:19:08.539 --> 00:19:10.640
 unspoiled by

00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:11.500
 sin or

00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:12.160
 distraction

00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:13.019
 we will be

00:19:13.019 --> 00:19:13.700
 able to

00:19:13.700 --> 00:19:14.440
 worship him

00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:15.420
 in perfection.

00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:16.039
 There'll be no

00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:16.600
 more sea.

00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:17.220
 We read that

00:19:17.220 --> 00:19:18.079
 in chapter

00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:18.440
 20.

00:19:18.539 --> 00:19:18.900
 Again

00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:19.519
 symbolic

00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:20.620
 there'll be

00:19:20.620 --> 00:19:21.079
 no more

00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:21.319
 sea.

00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:21.620
 What does

00:19:21.620 --> 00:19:21.980
 that mean?

00:19:22.059 --> 00:19:22.380
 The sea

00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:22.819
 was a

00:19:22.819 --> 00:19:23.299
 symbol of

00:19:23.299 --> 00:19:23.620
 all the

00:19:23.620 --> 00:19:24.740
 changeableness

00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:25.680
 of life.

00:19:25.900 --> 00:19:26.120
 Remember

00:19:26.120 --> 00:19:26.559
 that this

00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:27.819
 vision was

00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:28.259
 given to

00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:28.660
 John.

00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:29.019
 He was

00:19:29.019 --> 00:19:29.259
 on the

00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:29.720
 island of

00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:30.200
 Patmos.

00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:30.559
 He was

00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:31.120
 surrounded

00:19:31.120 --> 00:19:31.940
 by sea.

00:19:32.860 --> 00:19:33.339
 Anybody

00:19:33.339 --> 00:19:33.819
 who's on

00:19:33.819 --> 00:19:34.240
 an island

00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:34.680
 as you

00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:35.440
 well know

00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:36.500
 knows about

00:19:36.500 --> 00:19:37.000
 the sea.

00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:38.319
 And so

00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:38.900
 the sea

00:19:38.900 --> 00:19:39.259
 would have

00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:39.519
 meant

00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:40.100
 something

00:19:40.100 --> 00:19:40.740
 very

00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:42.460
 meaningful

00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:42.900
 to

00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:43.299
 John.

00:19:44.120 --> 00:19:44.839
 And he

00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:45.160
 would have

00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:45.700
 got up

00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:46.279
 every day

00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:46.600
 and he

00:19:46.600 --> 00:19:46.799
 would have

00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:47.139
 seen how

00:19:47.139 --> 00:19:47.799
 changeable

00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:48.480
 things were

00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:49.000
 and it

00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:49.240
 was a

00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:49.720
 reflection

00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:50.740
 of how

00:19:50.740 --> 00:19:51.299
 changeable

00:19:51.299 --> 00:19:52.279
 life was.

00:19:53.159 --> 00:19:53.639
 But there'll

00:19:53.639 --> 00:19:54.379
 be no more

00:19:54.379 --> 00:19:55.619
 changeableness.

00:19:56.299 --> 00:19:56.940
 There'll be no

00:19:56.940 --> 00:19:58.019
 more disappointment.

00:19:58.700 --> 00:19:59.139
 No more

00:19:59.139 --> 00:20:00.220
 unpredictability.

00:20:00.379 --> 00:20:00.659
 There'll be

00:20:00.659 --> 00:20:01.519
 complete healing

00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:02.299
 in verse 2.

00:20:02.539 --> 00:20:03.000
 There'll be no

00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:03.559
 more curse.

00:20:03.659 --> 00:20:03.759
 Here,

00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:04.599
 those of you

00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:05.180
 who read that,

00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:06.059
 you'll remember

00:20:06.059 --> 00:20:06.460
 that.

00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:07.519
 That's a

00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:09.240
 reversal of

00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:10.419
 Genesis chapter 3

00:20:10.419 --> 00:20:11.039
 when God

00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:12.500
 cursed the earth

00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:13.299
 because of

00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:14.399
 Adam and Eve's

00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:15.240
 disobedience.

00:20:15.700 --> 00:20:16.540
 Now there's

00:20:16.540 --> 00:20:17.120
 no more

00:20:17.120 --> 00:20:18.259
 curse and

00:20:18.259 --> 00:20:18.700
 the throne

00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:19.140
 of God

00:20:19.140 --> 00:20:19.580
 and of the

00:20:19.580 --> 00:20:20.040
 Lamb will

00:20:20.040 --> 00:20:20.560
 be there.

00:20:21.040 --> 00:20:21.500
 They will

00:20:21.500 --> 00:20:22.120
 see his

00:20:22.120 --> 00:20:23.440
 face and

00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:24.000
 his name

00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:24.680
 will be on

00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:25.340
 their forehead.

00:20:25.700 --> 00:20:26.259
 Symbolism

00:20:26.259 --> 00:20:27.060
 once again.

00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:28.400
 I'm not

00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:29.080
 quite sure

00:20:29.080 --> 00:20:30.680
 how that

00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:32.140
 relates to

00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:33.240
 the reality

00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:34.800
 of heaven,

00:20:35.600 --> 00:20:36.920
 but we

00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:37.519
 will see

00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:38.220
 his face

00:20:38.220 --> 00:20:39.000
 and his

00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:40.080
 name will

00:20:40.080 --> 00:20:40.780
 be on

00:20:40.780 --> 00:20:42.040
 our foreheads.

00:20:42.040 --> 00:20:42.480
 There'll be no

00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:43.140
 more night.

00:20:43.339 --> 00:20:43.720
 It'll be a

00:20:43.720 --> 00:20:44.420
 different order

00:20:44.420 --> 00:20:45.000
 of things

00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:46.039
 altogether.

00:20:46.259 --> 00:20:46.759
 God and

00:20:46.759 --> 00:20:48.059
 sinners are

00:20:48.059 --> 00:20:49.000
 reconciled

00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:49.660
 forever.

00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:50.839
 The dwelling

00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:51.500
 of God is

00:20:51.500 --> 00:20:52.160
 with man.

00:20:52.539 --> 00:20:52.980
 We have a

00:20:52.980 --> 00:20:53.860
 new creation.

00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:54.360
 God has

00:20:54.360 --> 00:20:54.860
 made all

00:20:54.860 --> 00:20:55.559
 things new.

00:20:56.059 --> 00:20:56.579
 His word

00:20:56.579 --> 00:20:57.240
 is trustworthy.

00:20:58.120 --> 00:20:58.740
 His city

00:20:58.740 --> 00:20:59.799
 gleams with

00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:00.420
 perfect,

00:21:00.599 --> 00:21:01.460
 unimaginable

00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:02.160
 grandeur

00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:03.640
 and spectacular

00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:04.819
 beauty.

00:21:05.819 --> 00:21:07.120
 So I'm

00:21:07.120 --> 00:21:07.920
 out of words,

00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:08.360
 I'm afraid.

00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:09.319
 I don't have

00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:09.940
 any words

00:21:09.940 --> 00:21:10.460
 because I

00:21:10.460 --> 00:21:11.339
 don't even

00:21:11.339 --> 00:21:11.860
 know what

00:21:11.859 --> 00:21:13.559
 words that

00:21:13.559 --> 00:21:13.839
 I could

00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:14.619
 possibly bring

00:21:14.619 --> 00:21:15.879
 together to

00:21:15.879 --> 00:21:16.559
 do justice

00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:17.539
 to what God

00:21:17.539 --> 00:21:18.299
 has promised.

00:21:18.500 --> 00:21:19.019
 And I can't

00:21:19.019 --> 00:21:19.599
 go beyond

00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:21.079
 what is

00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:21.839
 in the

00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:22.219
 Bible.

00:21:22.419 --> 00:21:22.539
 So,

00:21:22.659 --> 00:21:23.139
 so much

00:21:23.139 --> 00:21:24.059
 for the

00:21:24.059 --> 00:21:24.719
 new heaven

00:21:24.719 --> 00:21:25.719
 and the

00:21:25.719 --> 00:21:26.379
 new earth.

00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:26.679
 Now,

00:21:27.419 --> 00:21:28.039
 let me just,

00:21:28.139 --> 00:21:28.500
 before we go

00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:28.979
 into this,

00:21:29.899 --> 00:21:32.439
 the reason

00:21:32.439 --> 00:21:33.879
 I believe

00:21:33.879 --> 00:21:34.979
 that there

00:21:34.979 --> 00:21:35.500
 will be a

00:21:35.500 --> 00:21:36.079
 new heaven

00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:36.699
 and a new

00:21:36.699 --> 00:21:37.039
 earth

00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:38.419
 is because

00:21:38.419 --> 00:21:39.519
 I believe

00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:40.180
 in the

00:21:40.180 --> 00:21:40.940
 present

00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:41.720
 earth

00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:42.759
 where I

00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:43.200
 live

00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:44.059
 and I

00:21:44.059 --> 00:21:44.359
 believe

00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:44.660
 in a

00:21:44.660 --> 00:21:44.980
 present

00:21:44.980 --> 00:21:45.319
 heaven.

00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:46.359
 And the

00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:46.779
 reason I

00:21:46.779 --> 00:21:47.339
 believe that

00:21:47.339 --> 00:21:48.039
 is because

00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:49.160
 God has

00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:50.000
 created it.

00:21:50.220 --> 00:21:51.519
 The ground

00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:52.019
 that I

00:21:52.019 --> 00:21:53.220
 stand on

00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:54.940
 is ground

00:21:54.940 --> 00:21:55.259
 that has

00:21:55.259 --> 00:21:55.619
 come into

00:21:55.619 --> 00:21:56.319
 being because

00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:57.420
 God has

00:21:57.420 --> 00:21:58.259
 created it.

00:21:58.920 --> 00:22:00.099
 My reality

00:22:00.099 --> 00:22:01.299
 owes its

00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:01.960
 existence

00:22:01.960 --> 00:22:03.139
 to God.

00:22:03.379 --> 00:22:03.559
 Now,

00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:04.059
 if you

00:22:04.059 --> 00:22:04.879
 believe that,

00:22:05.700 --> 00:22:06.440
 then it

00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:06.920
 shouldn't be

00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:07.639
 difficult for you

00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:08.100
 to believe

00:22:08.100 --> 00:22:08.620
 that God

00:22:08.620 --> 00:22:09.340
 one day

00:22:09.340 --> 00:22:10.020
 will create

00:22:10.020 --> 00:22:11.420
 another reality,

00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:12.759
 a new reality,

00:22:12.900 --> 00:22:13.620
 a renewed

00:22:13.620 --> 00:22:14.920
 existence.

00:22:15.560 --> 00:22:16.020
 It shouldn't

00:22:16.020 --> 00:22:16.620
 be difficult

00:22:16.620 --> 00:22:17.720
 because we're

00:22:17.720 --> 00:22:18.120
 talking about

00:22:18.120 --> 00:22:18.720
 the same God

00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:19.660
 who is capable

00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:20.540
 of anything.

00:22:21.620 --> 00:22:21.840
 And so,

00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:22.640
 the same faith

00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:23.140
 that believes

00:22:23.140 --> 00:22:24.160
 that I owe

00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:25.040
 my existence

00:22:25.040 --> 00:22:25.600
 to God

00:22:25.600 --> 00:22:26.440
 is the same

00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:26.920
 faith that

00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:27.720
 believes that

00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:28.200
 one day

00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:28.900
 he will

00:22:28.900 --> 00:22:29.600
 renew

00:22:29.600 --> 00:22:30.340
 this world

00:22:30.340 --> 00:22:31.220
 and he will

00:22:31.220 --> 00:22:31.700
 bring about

00:22:31.700 --> 00:22:32.040
 the new

00:22:32.040 --> 00:22:32.300
 heaven

00:22:32.300 --> 00:22:32.920
 and the

00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:33.140
 new

00:22:33.140 --> 00:22:33.560
 earth.

00:22:34.580 --> 00:22:35.400
 So much

00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:35.780
 for the

00:22:35.780 --> 00:22:36.560
 future promises.

00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.299
 What do

00:22:37.299 --> 00:22:37.960
 these passages

00:22:37.960 --> 00:22:38.559
 have to

00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:39.460
 tell us

00:22:39.460 --> 00:22:40.500
 about the

00:22:40.500 --> 00:22:41.079
 life that

00:22:41.079 --> 00:22:41.619
 I live

00:22:41.619 --> 00:22:42.339
 now?

00:22:43.099 --> 00:22:43.639
 Well,

00:22:43.720 --> 00:22:44.200
 it tells

00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:44.619
 us in

00:22:44.619 --> 00:22:45.379
 verse 6

00:22:45.379 --> 00:22:45.919
 in chapter

00:22:45.919 --> 00:22:47.899
 22,

00:22:48.679 --> 00:22:49.220
 the first

00:22:49.220 --> 00:22:50.559
 thing is

00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:51.779
 that my

00:22:51.779 --> 00:22:53.099
 words are

00:22:53.099 --> 00:22:53.539
 true.

00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:54.000
 And so,

00:22:54.119 --> 00:22:54.399
 God is

00:22:54.399 --> 00:22:54.759
 saying to

00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:55.000
 us,

00:22:55.500 --> 00:22:55.839
 believe

00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:57.299
 my

00:22:57.299 --> 00:22:58.419
 words.

00:22:59.480 --> 00:22:59.940
 Believe

00:22:59.940 --> 00:23:00.960
 my

00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:01.639
 words.

00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:02.339
 Verse 6

00:23:02.339 --> 00:23:02.919
 says this,

00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:03.679
 these words

00:23:03.679 --> 00:23:04.220
 are trustworthy

00:23:04.220 --> 00:23:04.799
 and true,

00:23:04.879 --> 00:23:05.059
 and the

00:23:05.059 --> 00:23:05.279
 Lord,

00:23:05.379 --> 00:23:05.619
 the God

00:23:05.619 --> 00:23:05.859
 of the

00:23:05.859 --> 00:23:06.079
 spirits

00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:06.379
 of the

00:23:06.379 --> 00:23:06.679
 prophets

00:23:06.679 --> 00:23:07.479
 has sent

00:23:07.479 --> 00:23:07.959
 his angel

00:23:07.959 --> 00:23:08.479
 to show

00:23:08.479 --> 00:23:09.119
 his servants

00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:10.000
 what must

00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:10.899
 soon take

00:23:10.899 --> 00:23:11.299
 place.

00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:11.459
 Now,

00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:11.879
 I can't

00:23:11.879 --> 00:23:12.519
 help connecting

00:23:12.519 --> 00:23:12.919
 this to

00:23:12.919 --> 00:23:13.519
 Genesis 3

00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:14.139
 that we

00:23:14.139 --> 00:23:14.639
 had last

00:23:14.639 --> 00:23:15.000
 night.

00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:16.079
 And particularly,

00:23:16.399 --> 00:23:16.679
 remember,

00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:17.500
 the conversation

00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:18.159
 that the serpent

00:23:18.159 --> 00:23:18.839
 had with the

00:23:18.839 --> 00:23:19.079
 woman,

00:23:19.199 --> 00:23:19.779
 with Eve,

00:23:20.239 --> 00:23:20.919
 and how he

00:23:20.919 --> 00:23:22.039
 attempted,

00:23:22.619 --> 00:23:23.199
 successfully,

00:23:23.459 --> 00:23:23.739
 sadly,

00:23:24.219 --> 00:23:25.019
 to undermine

00:23:25.019 --> 00:23:26.019
 the truthfulness

00:23:26.019 --> 00:23:26.799
 of God's

00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:27.000
 word,

00:23:27.059 --> 00:23:27.519
 and therefore

00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:28.599
 the trustworthiness

00:23:28.599 --> 00:23:29.399
 of God

00:23:29.399 --> 00:23:29.939
 himself.

00:23:30.759 --> 00:23:31.079
 And so,

00:23:31.139 --> 00:23:31.699
 these very

00:23:31.699 --> 00:23:32.579
 first attempts

00:23:32.579 --> 00:23:34.240
 to chip

00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:34.639
 away,

00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:35.199
 remember what

00:23:35.199 --> 00:23:35.399
 we were

00:23:35.399 --> 00:23:36.240
 seeing last

00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:36.399
 night,

00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:37.079
 to chip

00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:37.539
 away at

00:23:37.539 --> 00:23:37.720
 the

00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:38.480
 trustworthiness

00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:38.899
 of God.

00:23:38.899 --> 00:23:39.639
 Here is God

00:23:39.639 --> 00:23:40.439
 at the end

00:23:40.439 --> 00:23:41.419
 of the Bible,

00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:42.419
 and he's

00:23:42.419 --> 00:23:42.859
 saying to

00:23:42.859 --> 00:23:43.179
 us,

00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:44.740
 I assure

00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:45.139
 you,

00:23:45.439 --> 00:23:46.079
 I give

00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:46.599
 you my

00:23:46.599 --> 00:23:47.319
 word,

00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:49.299
 that my

00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:49.699
 word,

00:23:49.879 --> 00:23:50.679
 my promise,

00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:51.980
 is trustworthy

00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:53.279
 and true.

00:23:54.159 --> 00:23:54.379
 Now,

00:23:54.439 --> 00:23:54.939
 I know that's

00:23:54.939 --> 00:23:55.240
 all we've

00:23:55.240 --> 00:23:55.619
 got to go

00:23:55.619 --> 00:23:55.819
 on,

00:23:55.819 --> 00:23:58.599
 but the

00:23:58.599 --> 00:23:59.240
 Holy Spirit

00:23:59.240 --> 00:23:59.700
 has the

00:23:59.700 --> 00:24:00.379
 power to

00:24:00.379 --> 00:24:01.539
 implant these

00:24:01.539 --> 00:24:02.240
 words and

00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:03.179
 to assure

00:24:03.179 --> 00:24:04.960
 us of

00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:05.139
 their

00:24:05.139 --> 00:24:05.639
 truthfulness.

00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:07.059
 There's

00:24:07.059 --> 00:24:07.799
 something about

00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:08.299
 the word

00:24:08.299 --> 00:24:08.659
 of God,

00:24:08.740 --> 00:24:08.980
 there's

00:24:08.980 --> 00:24:09.619
 something about

00:24:09.619 --> 00:24:10.259
 the Bible

00:24:10.259 --> 00:24:12.279
 that resonates

00:24:12.279 --> 00:24:13.599
 with us,

00:24:13.700 --> 00:24:14.200
 isn't there?

00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:15.059
 There's

00:24:15.059 --> 00:24:15.740
 something about

00:24:15.740 --> 00:24:15.960
 it,

00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:17.259
 and in the

00:24:17.259 --> 00:24:17.819
 hands of the

00:24:17.819 --> 00:24:18.379
 Holy Spirit,

00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:19.259
 and I believe

00:24:19.259 --> 00:24:20.200
 that God is,

00:24:20.619 --> 00:24:21.359
 as we worship

00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:21.819
 him tonight,

00:24:21.899 --> 00:24:22.299
 we're coming

00:24:22.299 --> 00:24:23.019
 to meet with

00:24:23.019 --> 00:24:23.179
 him,

00:24:23.439 --> 00:24:24.099
 he's present

00:24:24.099 --> 00:24:24.480
 in this

00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:24.740
 building,

00:24:24.980 --> 00:24:25.460
 which means

00:24:25.460 --> 00:24:25.880
 that he

00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:26.579
 is working

00:24:26.579 --> 00:24:27.680
 in your

00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:28.160
 hearts,

00:24:28.360 --> 00:24:29.079
 and speaking

00:24:29.079 --> 00:24:29.700
 to you,

00:24:29.860 --> 00:24:30.480
 and bringing

00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:31.380
 this very

00:24:31.380 --> 00:24:31.720
 word,

00:24:32.140 --> 00:24:33.779
 and implanting

00:24:33.779 --> 00:24:35.019
 it in your

00:24:35.019 --> 00:24:35.559
 consciousness.

00:24:36.900 --> 00:24:37.779
 My word

00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:38.759
 is,

00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:39.920
 these words

00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:40.740
 are trustworthy

00:24:40.740 --> 00:24:42.779
 and true,

00:24:43.700 --> 00:24:44.480
 and so I

00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:45.220
 hope tonight,

00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:46.319
 and I would

00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:46.940
 ask you

00:24:46.940 --> 00:24:47.380
 tonight,

00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:47.940
 that instead

00:24:47.940 --> 00:24:48.360
 of doing

00:24:48.360 --> 00:24:48.860
 what Eve

00:24:48.860 --> 00:24:49.180
 did,

00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:50.180
 and doubting

00:24:50.180 --> 00:24:50.799
 God's word,

00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:51.380
 that you'll

00:24:51.380 --> 00:24:51.759
 just lay

00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:52.220
 hold upon

00:24:52.220 --> 00:24:52.519
 them and

00:24:52.519 --> 00:24:53.000
 trust them,

00:24:53.180 --> 00:24:53.799
 because they

00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:54.120
 are the

00:24:54.120 --> 00:24:54.740
 words of

00:24:54.740 --> 00:24:55.120
 God.

00:24:55.460 --> 00:24:56.039
 He tells

00:24:56.039 --> 00:24:56.319
 us,

00:24:56.600 --> 00:24:56.920
 in verse

00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:57.340
 13,

00:24:57.440 --> 00:24:57.819
 I am the

00:24:57.819 --> 00:24:58.460
 alpha and

00:24:58.460 --> 00:24:58.880
 the omega,

00:24:59.019 --> 00:24:59.559
 the beginning

00:24:59.559 --> 00:25:00.400
 and the

00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:00.880
 end.

00:25:01.420 --> 00:25:01.900
 I'm the

00:25:01.900 --> 00:25:02.380
 root and

00:25:02.380 --> 00:25:03.059
 the descendant

00:25:03.059 --> 00:25:03.579
 of David,

00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:04.140
 the bright

00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:04.740
 and morning

00:25:04.740 --> 00:25:05.720
 star.

00:25:05.880 --> 00:25:06.039
 Now,

00:25:06.500 --> 00:25:07.059
 he tells

00:25:07.059 --> 00:25:07.600
 us two

00:25:07.600 --> 00:25:08.079
 things

00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:13.620
 that we

00:25:13.620 --> 00:25:14.400
 are to

00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:14.819
 do.

00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:16.259
 One is

00:25:16.259 --> 00:25:17.440
 what we

00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:17.860
 should do

00:25:17.860 --> 00:25:18.319
 with God's

00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:18.519
 word,

00:25:18.680 --> 00:25:18.900
 and the

00:25:18.900 --> 00:25:19.299
 other one

00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:19.680
 is what

00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:20.240
 we shouldn't

00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:20.480
 do.

00:25:21.100 --> 00:25:21.660
 First of

00:25:21.660 --> 00:25:21.940
 all,

00:25:22.420 --> 00:25:22.799
 we must

00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:24.059
 not keep

00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:24.859
 quiet about

00:25:24.859 --> 00:25:25.059
 it.

00:25:25.220 --> 00:25:26.259
 Verse 10

00:25:26.259 --> 00:25:26.839
 it tells us,

00:25:26.859 --> 00:25:27.019
 and he

00:25:27.019 --> 00:25:27.519
 said to me,

00:25:28.019 --> 00:25:28.480
 do not

00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:29.259
 seal up the

00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:29.839
 words of the

00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:30.579
 prophecy of

00:25:30.579 --> 00:25:31.139
 this book,

00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:32.000
 for the

00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:32.819
 time is

00:25:32.819 --> 00:25:33.240
 near.

00:25:34.059 --> 00:25:34.240
 Now,

00:25:34.259 --> 00:25:34.639
 that's a

00:25:34.639 --> 00:25:35.519
 word to

00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:36.079
 the church.

00:25:36.859 --> 00:25:37.460
 Do not

00:25:37.460 --> 00:25:38.039
 seal up the

00:25:38.039 --> 00:25:38.720
 prophecy of

00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:39.139
 this book.

00:25:39.220 --> 00:25:39.579
 Let's just

00:25:39.579 --> 00:25:39.940
 spend a

00:25:39.940 --> 00:25:40.740
 moment thinking

00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:41.099
 about what

00:25:41.099 --> 00:25:41.339
 does he

00:25:41.339 --> 00:25:41.740
 mean by

00:25:41.740 --> 00:25:42.460
 this book.

00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:43.259
 He's just

00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:43.980
 been told to

00:25:43.980 --> 00:25:44.659
 sit down and

00:25:44.659 --> 00:25:45.119
 to write

00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:45.759
 what he's

00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:45.960
 seen,

00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:46.339
 so it

00:25:46.339 --> 00:25:46.779
 could mean

00:25:46.779 --> 00:25:47.099
 the book

00:25:47.099 --> 00:25:47.779
 of Revelation.

00:25:47.779 --> 00:25:48.799
 Then there's

00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:49.279
 another book

00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:49.779
 in Revelation

00:25:49.779 --> 00:25:50.720
 chapter 5,

00:25:50.819 --> 00:25:51.399
 the scroll

00:25:51.399 --> 00:25:51.740
 that was

00:25:51.740 --> 00:25:51.980
 in the

00:25:51.980 --> 00:25:53.039
 hand of

00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:53.539
 the one

00:25:53.539 --> 00:25:54.000
 who sat

00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:54.440
 on the

00:25:54.440 --> 00:25:54.759
 throne.

00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:56.420
 And if

00:25:56.420 --> 00:25:56.879
 you read

00:25:56.879 --> 00:25:57.559
 chapter 5,

00:25:57.660 --> 00:25:58.000
 it becomes

00:25:58.000 --> 00:25:58.680
 very obvious

00:25:58.680 --> 00:25:59.119
 that that

00:25:59.119 --> 00:25:59.519
 is the

00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:00.500
 will of

00:26:00.500 --> 00:26:00.839
 God,

00:26:00.940 --> 00:26:01.599
 the purpose

00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:02.319
 of God.

00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:03.220
 But if

00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:03.539
 it is,

00:26:03.639 --> 00:26:04.139
 whatever it

00:26:04.139 --> 00:26:04.539
 is,

00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:05.359
 it is

00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:05.839
 God's

00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:06.259
 message,

00:26:06.399 --> 00:26:06.799
 and I

00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:07.200
 take it

00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:07.539
 to mean

00:26:07.539 --> 00:26:08.059
 the Bible,

00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:09.079
 because the

00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:09.819
 Bible is

00:26:09.819 --> 00:26:10.420
 God's

00:26:10.420 --> 00:26:11.119
 complete,

00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:12.099
 perfect,

00:26:12.379 --> 00:26:13.000
 infallible

00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:13.700
 word.

00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:14.039
 And what

00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:14.379
 he's saying

00:26:14.379 --> 00:26:14.700
 to the

00:26:14.700 --> 00:26:15.379
 church is,

00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:16.559
 make sure

00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:16.980
 that you

00:26:16.980 --> 00:26:17.500
 do not

00:26:17.500 --> 00:26:18.000
 seal it

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:18.160
 up,

00:26:18.259 --> 00:26:18.500
 don't

00:26:18.500 --> 00:26:18.720
 keep

00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:19.099
 quiet

00:26:19.099 --> 00:26:19.420
 about

00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:19.640
 it.

00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:20.359
 There

00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:20.519
 is

00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:20.900
 nothing

00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:21.279
 to be

00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:21.700
 ashamed

00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:22.180
 of.

00:26:23.819 --> 00:26:24.420
 And I

00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:24.819
 think if

00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:25.200
 ever there

00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:25.519
 was a

00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:26.200
 time when

00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:26.819
 we needed

00:26:26.819 --> 00:26:27.140
 to be

00:26:27.140 --> 00:26:27.660
 encouraged

00:26:27.660 --> 00:26:28.380
 not to

00:26:28.380 --> 00:26:29.000
 be ashamed

00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:29.960
 of that

00:26:29.960 --> 00:26:30.640
 we believe

00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:31.279
 in the

00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:31.740
 words of

00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:32.079
 the Bible,

00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:32.339
 it's

00:26:32.339 --> 00:26:32.740
 today.

00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:33.460
 Because

00:26:33.460 --> 00:26:35.880
 the whole

00:26:35.880 --> 00:26:36.500
 atmosphere

00:26:36.500 --> 00:26:36.940
 of the

00:26:36.940 --> 00:26:37.259
 world

00:26:37.259 --> 00:26:37.880
 outside

00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:39.859
 will tell

00:26:39.859 --> 00:26:40.099
 us,

00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:40.380
 well,

00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:40.839
 if you

00:26:40.839 --> 00:26:41.079
 want to

00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:42.160
 be a

00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:42.559
 Christian,

00:26:42.740 --> 00:26:43.000
 that's

00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:43.440
 fine,

00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:44.680
 just

00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:45.240
 keep it

00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:45.359
 to

00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:45.940
 yourself.

00:26:47.500 --> 00:26:49.920
 God

00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:50.339
 tells us

00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:50.660
 not to

00:26:50.660 --> 00:26:50.920
 keep it

00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:51.019
 to

00:26:51.019 --> 00:26:51.440
 ourselves.

00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:52.640
 God

00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:53.019
 tells us

00:26:53.019 --> 00:26:53.319
 there's a

00:26:53.319 --> 00:26:53.920
 whole world

00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:54.220
 out there

00:26:54.220 --> 00:26:54.700
 that needs

00:26:54.700 --> 00:26:55.160
 to hear

00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:55.420
 about

00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:55.779
 Jesus,

00:26:56.779 --> 00:26:58.220
 and a

00:26:58.220 --> 00:26:59.619
 world full

00:26:59.619 --> 00:27:00.200
 of darkness

00:27:00.200 --> 00:27:01.019
 and confusion

00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:01.700
 in which

00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:02.839
 his word

00:27:02.839 --> 00:27:03.279
 is the

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:03.839
 only source

00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:04.180
 of light

00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:04.640
 there is.

00:27:06.420 --> 00:27:07.240
 So there's

00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:07.819
 no reason

00:27:07.819 --> 00:27:08.220
 to be

00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:08.619
 ashamed.

00:27:08.740 --> 00:27:09.160
 Like Paul

00:27:09.160 --> 00:27:10.359
 said once,

00:27:11.140 --> 00:27:11.519
 I am

00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:12.240
 not ashamed

00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:12.900
 of the

00:27:12.900 --> 00:27:13.619
 gospel of

00:27:13.619 --> 00:27:14.019
 Christ.

00:27:14.639 --> 00:27:15.119
 And we

00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:15.739
 might be

00:27:15.739 --> 00:27:16.979
 very tempted

00:27:16.979 --> 00:27:18.500
 to assume

00:27:18.500 --> 00:27:19.299
 that the

00:27:19.299 --> 00:27:19.799
 world is

00:27:19.799 --> 00:27:20.259
 hostile,

00:27:20.459 --> 00:27:20.919
 and to a

00:27:20.919 --> 00:27:21.479
 large extent

00:27:21.479 --> 00:27:21.859
 it is

00:27:21.859 --> 00:27:22.219
 hostile.

00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:23.439
 But remember

00:27:23.439 --> 00:27:23.779
 that the

00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:24.419
 world outside

00:27:24.419 --> 00:27:25.459
 contains all

00:27:25.459 --> 00:27:25.879
 kinds of

00:27:25.879 --> 00:27:26.159
 people.

00:27:27.219 --> 00:27:27.919
 It contains

00:27:27.919 --> 00:27:28.339
 some who

00:27:28.339 --> 00:27:29.039
 are deeply

00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:29.659
 hostile to

00:27:29.659 --> 00:27:30.119
 the gospel,

00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:31.419
 but it also

00:27:31.419 --> 00:27:32.279
 contains people

00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:32.619
 who are

00:27:32.619 --> 00:27:33.479
 asking questions.

00:27:34.159 --> 00:27:34.479
 And how

00:27:34.479 --> 00:27:35.239
 do you know

00:27:35.239 --> 00:27:35.839
 as God

00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:36.500
 leads you

00:27:36.500 --> 00:27:36.979
 and guides

00:27:36.979 --> 00:27:37.319
 you through

00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:37.919
 this world

00:27:37.919 --> 00:27:38.679
 that you

00:27:38.679 --> 00:27:39.119
 will not

00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:39.659
 come across

00:27:39.659 --> 00:27:40.779
 people who

00:27:40.779 --> 00:27:42.920
 are asking

00:27:42.920 --> 00:27:43.819
 those questions.

00:27:44.139 --> 00:27:46.039
 And you

00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:46.779
 might be the

00:27:46.779 --> 00:27:48.220
 means of

00:27:48.220 --> 00:27:48.879
 their coming

00:27:48.879 --> 00:27:50.200
 to know

00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:50.539
 Jesus.

00:27:52.139 --> 00:27:53.180
 We are his

00:27:53.180 --> 00:27:53.599
 witnesses.

00:27:53.819 --> 00:27:54.200
 We are his

00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:54.759
 ambassadors.

00:27:55.539 --> 00:27:56.500
 We are living

00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:56.899
 epistles.

00:27:57.059 --> 00:27:57.700
 He's told us

00:27:57.700 --> 00:27:58.299
 to let our

00:27:58.299 --> 00:27:59.039
 light shine.

00:27:59.139 --> 00:27:59.599
 Now I don't

00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:00.259
 mean that we

00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:01.279
 preach a sermon

00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:01.839
 to everyone

00:28:01.839 --> 00:28:02.579
 that we meet

00:28:02.579 --> 00:28:03.000
 and that we

00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:03.819
 use every

00:28:03.819 --> 00:28:04.539
 single,

00:28:04.759 --> 00:28:05.240
 every time

00:28:05.240 --> 00:28:05.839
 we sit

00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:06.460
 beside someone

00:28:06.460 --> 00:28:06.899
 and make a

00:28:06.899 --> 00:28:07.420
 pester of ourselves.

00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:08.039
 No, you're

00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:08.799
 asking God

00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:09.940
 to give you

00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:10.980
 the opportunity

00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:11.820
 by your

00:28:11.820 --> 00:28:12.720
 life and

00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:13.240
 by your

00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:14.799
 witness to

00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:16.279
 make known

00:28:16.279 --> 00:28:16.960
 what you

00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:17.480
 believe.

00:28:17.740 --> 00:28:18.100
 What was it

00:28:18.100 --> 00:28:18.720
 Jesus said

00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:19.759
 to the man

00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:20.320
 out of whom

00:28:20.320 --> 00:28:21.039
 he had cast

00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:21.660
 the demons?

00:28:21.840 --> 00:28:22.820
 Go and tell

00:28:22.820 --> 00:28:24.100
 the people

00:28:24.100 --> 00:28:24.840
 what God

00:28:24.840 --> 00:28:25.320
 has done

00:28:25.320 --> 00:28:25.960
 for you.

00:28:26.080 --> 00:28:26.640
 Go and give

00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:27.059
 them your

00:28:27.059 --> 00:28:27.620
 testimony.

00:28:28.100 --> 00:28:28.759
 So when people

00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:29.600
 ask you what

00:28:29.600 --> 00:28:30.120
 were you doing

00:28:30.120 --> 00:28:30.779
 at the weekend,

00:28:31.220 --> 00:28:32.000
 don't be ashamed

00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:32.460
 of saying I

00:28:32.460 --> 00:28:33.180
 went to church

00:28:33.180 --> 00:28:33.700
 at the weekend.

00:28:33.840 --> 00:28:34.500
 I go to church

00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:35.059
 every day.

00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:35.779
 Who knows,

00:28:35.820 --> 00:28:36.400
 they might close

00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:37.059
 up, it might be

00:28:37.059 --> 00:28:38.059
 end of conversation,

00:28:38.360 --> 00:28:39.759
 but you go to

00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:40.039
 church.

00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:40.740
 Well, which

00:28:40.740 --> 00:28:41.200
 church do you

00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:41.440
 go to?

00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:42.720
 Well, when

00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:43.140
 do you start

00:28:43.140 --> 00:28:43.660
 going to church?

00:28:43.720 --> 00:28:44.359
 And then as

00:28:44.359 --> 00:28:45.099
 an open door,

00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:46.079
 as a green

00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:46.839
 light, you

00:28:46.839 --> 00:28:47.640
 can tell

00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:48.740
 them what

00:28:48.740 --> 00:28:49.140
 God has

00:28:49.140 --> 00:28:49.980
 done for

00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:50.099
 you.

00:28:50.220 --> 00:28:50.700
 Do not

00:28:50.700 --> 00:28:51.799
 seal the

00:28:51.799 --> 00:28:53.700
 prophecy of

00:28:53.700 --> 00:28:54.240
 this book.

00:28:54.299 --> 00:28:54.559
 And of

00:28:54.559 --> 00:28:55.019
 course it's

00:28:55.019 --> 00:28:55.519
 a challenge

00:28:55.519 --> 00:28:56.000
 to the

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:56.279
 church

00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.500
 collectively as

00:28:57.500 --> 00:28:57.720
 well.

00:28:57.779 --> 00:28:58.140
 That's why

00:28:58.140 --> 00:28:58.759
 we exist,

00:28:58.839 --> 00:28:59.119
 to make

00:28:59.119 --> 00:28:59.940
 Jesus known

00:28:59.940 --> 00:29:01.480
 in Stornoway.

00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:03.059
 And I'm

00:29:03.059 --> 00:29:03.519
 sure that

00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:04.059
 you're using

00:29:04.059 --> 00:29:04.859
 every means

00:29:04.859 --> 00:29:06.699
 to continue

00:29:06.699 --> 00:29:07.799
 that witness.

00:29:09.799 --> 00:29:10.479
 Then it

00:29:10.479 --> 00:29:10.879
 tells us

00:29:10.879 --> 00:29:11.500
 something else

00:29:11.500 --> 00:29:13.839
 in verse 18.

00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:14.379
 It says,

00:29:14.579 --> 00:29:14.819
 do not

00:29:14.819 --> 00:29:18.639
 add to,

00:29:18.740 --> 00:29:19.159
 if anyone

00:29:19.159 --> 00:29:20.119
 adds to

00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:21.259
 the words

00:29:21.259 --> 00:29:21.519
 of the

00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:22.119
 prophecy of

00:29:22.119 --> 00:29:22.679
 this book,

00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:24.000
 or if they

00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:24.740
 take away

00:29:24.740 --> 00:29:25.559
 from them,

00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:26.519
 God will

00:29:26.519 --> 00:29:26.979
 take away

00:29:26.979 --> 00:29:27.500
 his share

00:29:27.500 --> 00:29:28.059
 in the tree

00:29:28.059 --> 00:29:28.539
 of life,

00:29:28.639 --> 00:29:29.119
 in the holy

00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:29.519
 city,

00:29:29.699 --> 00:29:30.079
 which are

00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:30.819
 described in

00:29:30.819 --> 00:29:31.299
 this book.

00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:32.079
 And what

00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:32.680
 God is

00:29:32.680 --> 00:29:33.119
 saying to

00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:33.639
 John is

00:29:33.639 --> 00:29:33.940
 this,

00:29:34.700 --> 00:29:35.240
 that whatever

00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:35.839
 you do,

00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:38.019
 don't distort

00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:40.139
 or pervert

00:29:40.139 --> 00:29:41.000
 what I have

00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:41.680
 written and

00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:42.059
 said.

00:29:43.819 --> 00:29:44.460
 Don't

00:29:44.460 --> 00:29:45.480
 twist

00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:46.759
 my truth.

00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:47.779
 Again,

00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:48.859
 there is a

00:29:48.859 --> 00:29:49.519
 reference to

00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.200
 Genesis 3.

00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:51.299
 That's exactly

00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:51.940
 what the

00:29:51.940 --> 00:29:53.079
 serpent tried

00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:53.839
 to do with

00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:54.240
 Eve.

00:29:54.500 --> 00:29:55.200
 He tried to

00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:56.539
 distort what

00:29:56.539 --> 00:29:57.159
 God had

00:29:57.159 --> 00:29:57.639
 said.

00:29:58.480 --> 00:29:59.079
 And by so

00:29:59.079 --> 00:29:59.460
 doing,

00:30:00.099 --> 00:30:01.220
 he provided

00:30:01.220 --> 00:30:02.180
 the opportunity

00:30:02.180 --> 00:30:03.620
 for her to

00:30:03.620 --> 00:30:04.279
 take the

00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:05.140
 forbidden fruit.

00:30:06.620 --> 00:30:07.180
 And we are

00:30:07.180 --> 00:30:07.759
 being commanded

00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:08.860
 here that we're

00:30:08.860 --> 00:30:09.559
 not to make of

00:30:09.559 --> 00:30:10.200
 the Bible what

00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:10.680
 we want.

00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:11.420
 We're not to

00:30:11.420 --> 00:30:13.120
 interpret the

00:30:13.120 --> 00:30:14.900
 Bible according

00:30:14.900 --> 00:30:15.759
 to ourselves or

00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:16.799
 to suit ourselves.

00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:17.740
 We're to take

00:30:17.740 --> 00:30:19.039
 God at his

00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:19.299
 word.

00:30:19.360 --> 00:30:19.700
 And there's a

00:30:19.700 --> 00:30:20.259
 very important

00:30:20.259 --> 00:30:20.880
 reason why he

00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:21.319
 says that.

00:30:21.620 --> 00:30:22.180
 And the reason

00:30:22.180 --> 00:30:22.660
 is this,

00:30:22.759 --> 00:30:24.019
 because God

00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:25.120
 wants people to

00:30:25.120 --> 00:30:25.900
 come to faith

00:30:25.900 --> 00:30:26.319
 in him.

00:30:26.980 --> 00:30:27.500
 He doesn't

00:30:27.500 --> 00:30:28.180
 want people to

00:30:28.180 --> 00:30:29.039
 believe a false

00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:29.539
 gospel.

00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:30.100
 And there are

00:30:30.100 --> 00:30:30.880
 many false

00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:31.580
 gospels out

00:30:31.580 --> 00:30:31.840
 there.

00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:34.860
 He wants

00:30:34.860 --> 00:30:35.480
 people to

00:30:35.480 --> 00:30:36.540
 discover the

00:30:36.540 --> 00:30:38.180
 truth of

00:30:38.180 --> 00:30:39.700
 Jesus Christ

00:30:39.700 --> 00:30:40.880
 and that

00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:41.460
 truth that we

00:30:41.460 --> 00:30:42.620
 have in his

00:30:42.620 --> 00:30:43.060
 word.

00:30:44.700 --> 00:30:45.600
 The second

00:30:45.600 --> 00:30:46.420
 thing, and I'm

00:30:46.420 --> 00:30:47.380
 watching the time

00:30:47.380 --> 00:30:47.840
 and we're going

00:30:47.840 --> 00:30:48.360
 to bring things

00:30:48.360 --> 00:30:48.780
 to a close

00:30:48.780 --> 00:30:49.400
 very quickly,

00:30:49.840 --> 00:30:50.360
 this book

00:30:50.360 --> 00:30:51.160
 promises the

00:30:51.160 --> 00:30:52.280
 imminent return

00:30:52.280 --> 00:30:53.460
 of Jesus.

00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:54.780
 And so we're

00:30:54.780 --> 00:30:55.920
 to live in

00:30:55.920 --> 00:30:56.980
 that promise.

00:30:57.700 --> 00:30:58.640
 We're to live

00:30:58.640 --> 00:30:59.440
 in the promise

00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:00.500
 of the imminent

00:31:00.500 --> 00:31:01.980
 return of

00:31:01.980 --> 00:31:02.340
 Jesus.

00:31:02.600 --> 00:31:03.380
 Verse 12,

00:31:03.799 --> 00:31:04.460
 verse 7,

00:31:04.620 --> 00:31:05.400
 verse 20,

00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:07.500
 three times in

00:31:07.500 --> 00:31:09.160
 this chapter we're

00:31:09.160 --> 00:31:10.180
 told, I am

00:31:10.180 --> 00:31:11.299
 coming soon.

00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:12.480
 Behold, I am

00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:13.200
 coming soon,

00:31:13.539 --> 00:31:14.120
 bringing my

00:31:14.120 --> 00:31:14.880
 recompense with

00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:15.660
 me to repay

00:31:15.660 --> 00:31:16.539
 everyone for

00:31:16.539 --> 00:31:17.799
 what he has

00:31:17.799 --> 00:31:18.299
 done.

00:31:18.820 --> 00:31:19.600
 Now this was a

00:31:19.600 --> 00:31:20.180
 promise that goes

00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:21.140
 all the way back

00:31:21.140 --> 00:31:22.039
 to when Jesus

00:31:22.039 --> 00:31:22.880
 left the world in

00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:23.420
 the first place,

00:31:23.620 --> 00:31:24.420
 when he ascended

00:31:24.420 --> 00:31:25.559
 to heaven 40

00:31:25.559 --> 00:31:26.480
 days after rising

00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:27.099
 from the dead,

00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:28.099
 and the angel

00:31:28.099 --> 00:31:28.860
 promised the

00:31:28.860 --> 00:31:29.680
 disciples that he

00:31:29.680 --> 00:31:30.220
 would return,

00:31:30.519 --> 00:31:31.759
 in the same way

00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:32.819
 as he left the

00:31:32.819 --> 00:31:33.039
 world.

00:31:33.160 --> 00:31:33.980
 So you can

00:31:33.980 --> 00:31:34.960
 picture this one,

00:31:35.819 --> 00:31:36.660
 you can imagine

00:31:36.660 --> 00:31:38.120
 Jesus appearing

00:31:38.120 --> 00:31:39.220
 in the sky one

00:31:39.220 --> 00:31:39.400
 day.

00:31:39.480 --> 00:31:40.360
 I know, I know

00:31:40.360 --> 00:31:43.660
 how strange

00:31:43.660 --> 00:31:45.539
 that appears in

00:31:45.539 --> 00:31:46.360
 an unbelieving

00:31:46.360 --> 00:31:48.620
 world, and yet

00:31:48.620 --> 00:31:49.299
 that is the

00:31:49.299 --> 00:31:50.099
 promise that

00:31:50.099 --> 00:31:51.380
 Jesus gives,

00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:53.380
 in the same way

00:31:53.380 --> 00:31:54.720
 as he left the

00:31:54.720 --> 00:31:55.019
 world.

00:31:55.019 --> 00:31:55.639
 Well, what do

00:31:55.639 --> 00:31:56.420
 we know about

00:31:56.420 --> 00:31:57.019
 his coming?

00:31:57.920 --> 00:31:58.879
 It will be at a

00:31:58.879 --> 00:32:00.279
 time when we do

00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:00.799
 not know.

00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:01.339
 Don't believe

00:32:01.339 --> 00:32:02.460
 anyone that tells

00:32:02.460 --> 00:32:02.980
 you that they've

00:32:02.980 --> 00:32:03.639
 worked out.

00:32:04.379 --> 00:32:04.799
 Don't believe,

00:32:04.920 --> 00:32:05.859
 no matter how

00:32:05.859 --> 00:32:08.160
 plausible it

00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:09.139
 seems, don't

00:32:09.139 --> 00:32:10.319
 believe anyone

00:32:10.319 --> 00:32:11.839
 that tells you

00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:12.279
 that they've

00:32:12.279 --> 00:32:13.480
 worked out when

00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:14.160
 Jesus is going

00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:14.779
 to come again.

00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:15.839
 I think I read

00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:16.500
 somewhere even

00:32:16.500 --> 00:32:17.279
 recently that

00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:17.920
 somebody has,

00:32:18.839 --> 00:32:19.680
 the internet is

00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:20.359
 full of the

00:32:20.359 --> 00:32:22.779
 greatest nonsense.

00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:24.220
 Please don't

00:32:24.220 --> 00:32:24.960
 believe.

00:32:26.019 --> 00:32:26.819
 Anyone that

00:32:26.819 --> 00:32:27.440
 tells you that

00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:27.900
 they've worked

00:32:27.900 --> 00:32:28.059
 out.

00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:29.740
 You'll get

00:32:29.740 --> 00:32:30.119
 people who say,

00:32:30.180 --> 00:32:30.799
 I've studied

00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:31.799
 the Bible, I've

00:32:31.799 --> 00:32:32.440
 done the maths,

00:32:32.639 --> 00:32:33.359
 and I've got it

00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:33.980
 right this time,

00:32:34.039 --> 00:32:34.460
 and this is when

00:32:34.460 --> 00:32:34.879
 Jesus is going

00:32:34.879 --> 00:32:35.139
 to come.

00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:37.420
 Prophecies like

00:32:37.420 --> 00:32:38.059
 that, by the way,

00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:38.619
 go all the way

00:32:38.619 --> 00:32:39.379
 back hundreds of

00:32:39.379 --> 00:32:39.740
 years.

00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:41.139
 We even got it

00:32:41.139 --> 00:32:42.680
 wrong in the

00:32:42.680 --> 00:32:43.819
 17th century.

00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:45.660
 The Puritans

00:32:45.660 --> 00:32:46.539
 got it wrong even.

00:32:46.660 --> 00:32:47.079
 Some of the

00:32:47.079 --> 00:32:48.400
 Puritans that we

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:49.779
 hold up in such

00:32:49.779 --> 00:32:50.599
 high esteem,

00:32:51.139 --> 00:32:51.779
 some of them

00:32:51.779 --> 00:32:52.599
 believed that

00:32:52.599 --> 00:32:53.920
 this year is the

00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:54.560
 year of the

00:32:54.560 --> 00:32:55.220
 millennium and

00:32:55.220 --> 00:32:55.740
 all that kind

00:32:55.740 --> 00:32:56.120
 of thing, and

00:32:56.120 --> 00:32:56.720
 they were wrong.

00:32:56.840 --> 00:32:57.039
 They were

00:32:57.039 --> 00:32:57.800
 completely wrong.

00:32:58.120 --> 00:32:58.460
 So don't

00:32:58.460 --> 00:32:58.920
 believe it.

00:32:59.000 --> 00:32:59.400
 Don't believe it

00:32:59.400 --> 00:33:00.220
 because the

00:33:00.220 --> 00:33:01.779
 Bible says that

00:33:01.779 --> 00:33:02.700
 the Son of Man

00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:03.300
 will come at a

00:33:03.300 --> 00:33:03.740
 time when you

00:33:03.740 --> 00:33:04.740
 do not expect,

00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:05.660
 like a thief in

00:33:05.660 --> 00:33:06.000
 the night.

00:33:06.840 --> 00:33:07.259
 It'll be a

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:08.800
 surprise to

00:33:08.800 --> 00:33:10.680
 everyone and a

00:33:10.680 --> 00:33:11.860
 shock to many

00:33:11.860 --> 00:33:12.259
 people.

00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:14.560
 1 Thessalonians

00:33:14.560 --> 00:33:15.420
 chapter 4, he

00:33:15.420 --> 00:33:15.640
 says,

00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:36.000
 He'll come in

00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:36.540
 glory.

00:33:37.600 --> 00:33:37.920
 There was

00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:39.080
 nothing very

00:33:39.080 --> 00:33:40.720
 visibly manifest

00:33:40.720 --> 00:33:41.680
 about his first

00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:42.340
 coming, but there

00:33:42.340 --> 00:33:43.800
 will be in the

00:33:43.799 --> 00:33:44.519
 second coming.

00:33:45.079 --> 00:33:46.019
 He was born in

00:33:46.019 --> 00:33:47.539
 obscurity, but he

00:33:47.539 --> 00:33:49.039
 will come again in

00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:50.779
 splendor and

00:33:50.779 --> 00:33:53.079
 majesty, and every

00:33:53.079 --> 00:33:54.279
 eye will see him.

00:33:54.379 --> 00:33:55.659
 I am coming soon.

00:33:55.740 --> 00:33:57.139
 We're to live in the

00:33:57.139 --> 00:33:57.859
 light of that

00:33:57.859 --> 00:33:58.059
 coming.

00:33:58.159 --> 00:33:59.180
 You know, you get

00:33:59.180 --> 00:33:59.940
 people saying,

00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:01.919
 well, we're to live

00:34:01.919 --> 00:34:03.720
 each day as if it

00:34:03.720 --> 00:34:04.319
 was our last.

00:34:04.399 --> 00:34:05.279
 And I think that's

00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:05.839
 good advice.

00:34:05.980 --> 00:34:06.639
 I think we were

00:34:06.639 --> 00:34:07.460
 always to live in the

00:34:07.460 --> 00:34:07.980
 consciousness.

00:34:08.759 --> 00:34:10.300
 But I'm not sure

00:34:10.300 --> 00:34:11.519
 how possible it is to

00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:12.380
 do that on a

00:34:12.380 --> 00:34:13.200
 practical level.

00:34:13.460 --> 00:34:14.260
 We have to make

00:34:14.260 --> 00:34:15.980
 some plans for the

00:34:15.980 --> 00:34:16.640
 future, but we

00:34:16.640 --> 00:34:18.200
 must always, always

00:34:18.200 --> 00:34:20.240
 live in the light of

00:34:20.240 --> 00:34:22.619
 that promise that I

00:34:22.619 --> 00:34:23.519
 am coming soon.

00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:25.200
 We do not know when

00:34:25.200 --> 00:34:26.920
 he will come.

00:34:29.539 --> 00:34:32.619
 Lastly, this book,

00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:34.559
 says Revelation, says

00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:36.260
 God in Revelation, is

00:34:36.260 --> 00:34:38.260
 a message that

00:34:38.260 --> 00:34:40.720
 demands a response.

00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:44.839
 And I'm going to, I

00:34:44.839 --> 00:34:45.719
 want to think about

00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:46.659
 three things as we

00:34:46.659 --> 00:34:47.379
 bring things to a

00:34:47.379 --> 00:34:47.739
 close.

00:34:48.179 --> 00:34:48.919
 Three things that are

00:34:48.919 --> 00:34:50.159
 in, three responses,

00:34:51.059 --> 00:34:52.480
 three kinds of people

00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:54.699
 that God addresses his

00:34:54.699 --> 00:34:56.299
 words to in this last

00:34:56.299 --> 00:34:56.679
 chapter.

00:34:57.500 --> 00:34:59.719
 First of all, in verse

00:34:59.719 --> 00:35:01.459
 11, he says, let the

00:35:01.459 --> 00:35:04.539
 evildoer still do evil.

00:35:06.459 --> 00:35:09.039
 Let the evildoer still

00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:09.699
 do evil.

00:35:10.259 --> 00:35:12.940
 Now, at first sight, you

00:35:12.940 --> 00:35:15.099
 think, whoa, that's a

00:35:15.099 --> 00:35:16.980
 bit unexpected.

00:35:17.579 --> 00:35:18.980
 Because surely, surely,

00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:20.739
 surely, if this is a

00:35:20.739 --> 00:35:22.579
 message of good news,

00:35:22.739 --> 00:35:24.019
 surely the message would

00:35:24.019 --> 00:35:25.460
 be, well, turn from your

00:35:25.460 --> 00:35:26.860
 evildoer doing and

00:35:26.860 --> 00:35:27.840
 repent and come to

00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:28.159
 faith.

00:35:28.699 --> 00:35:29.639
 But that's not what it

00:35:29.639 --> 00:35:29.840
 says.

00:35:29.900 --> 00:35:31.360
 It says, let the evildoer

00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:32.300
 still do evil.

00:35:32.539 --> 00:35:33.779
 And the filthy still be

00:35:33.779 --> 00:35:34.099
 filthy.

00:35:34.179 --> 00:35:35.840
 And the right, but we'll

00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:36.920
 come on to that in a

00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:37.180
 moment.

00:35:37.539 --> 00:35:39.420
 Let the evildoer still

00:35:39.420 --> 00:35:40.159
 do evil.

00:35:40.579 --> 00:35:41.659
 What does that mean?

00:35:42.119 --> 00:35:45.119
 What is God saying in

00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:45.760
 these words?

00:35:45.900 --> 00:35:47.180
 Well, here's what I

00:35:47.180 --> 00:35:47.960
 believe he's saying.

00:35:48.019 --> 00:35:48.720
 He's saying this.

00:35:48.780 --> 00:35:49.840
 This is the end of the

00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:50.139
 Bible.

00:35:51.519 --> 00:35:52.820
 This is the end of my

00:35:52.820 --> 00:35:53.240
 message.

00:35:53.420 --> 00:35:55.519
 I've said everything that

00:35:55.519 --> 00:35:56.720
 I have to say.

00:35:57.059 --> 00:35:58.579
 I cannot, there is

00:35:58.579 --> 00:36:00.539
 nothing more to be said.

00:36:00.539 --> 00:36:04.460
 I've sent my son into

00:36:04.460 --> 00:36:05.019
 the world.

00:36:06.199 --> 00:36:07.320
 He has died on the

00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:08.639
 cross to secure your

00:36:08.639 --> 00:36:09.900
 forgiveness, your

00:36:09.900 --> 00:36:10.420
 salvation.

00:36:11.039 --> 00:36:13.500
 He's risen again as a

00:36:13.500 --> 00:36:14.619
 proof of who he is.

00:36:15.019 --> 00:36:16.579
 He has offered to you

00:36:16.579 --> 00:36:19.279
 eternal life by believing

00:36:19.279 --> 00:36:20.460
 in him.

00:36:21.300 --> 00:36:23.039
 If at the end of all of

00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:24.759
 that, I promise that you

00:36:24.759 --> 00:36:25.699
 will have eternal life,

00:36:25.779 --> 00:36:26.759
 you'll rise from the dead,

00:36:26.980 --> 00:36:27.920
 you'll come to heaven,

00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:29.659
 you will, that there

00:36:29.659 --> 00:36:30.700
 will be a new heaven and

00:36:30.700 --> 00:36:32.039
 a new earth if you

00:36:32.039 --> 00:36:33.000
 believe in Jesus.

00:36:33.400 --> 00:36:34.960
 And if at the end of all

00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:39.700
 of that, your answer is

00:36:39.700 --> 00:36:40.780
 no.

00:36:44.740 --> 00:36:45.820
 It's your call.

00:36:49.420 --> 00:36:50.480
 That's what I believe it

00:36:50.480 --> 00:36:50.720
 means.

00:36:51.860 --> 00:36:53.400
 It's a dramatic way of

00:36:53.400 --> 00:36:53.940
 saying it.

00:36:53.940 --> 00:36:58.820
 But if God can get

00:36:58.820 --> 00:37:02.079
 through to you in a

00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:03.440
 dramatic way, then so

00:37:03.440 --> 00:37:03.880
 be it.

00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:08.059
 He's using extreme

00:37:08.059 --> 00:37:10.880
 language to express and

00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:13.320
 to impress upon you the

00:37:13.320 --> 00:37:14.559
 seriousness of what you're

00:37:14.559 --> 00:37:14.800
 doing.

00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:16.159
 If your answer is still

00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:21.019
 no, he says, let the

00:37:21.019 --> 00:37:23.220
 evildoer still do evil.

00:37:23.940 --> 00:37:26.880
 That's a massively

00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:27.860
 serious thought, isn't

00:37:27.860 --> 00:37:28.039
 it?

00:37:29.780 --> 00:37:30.840
 I'll leave it with you.

00:37:31.860 --> 00:37:33.200
 But then he talks to

00:37:33.200 --> 00:37:34.980
 another group of people

00:37:34.980 --> 00:37:35.659
 and he says, they're

00:37:35.659 --> 00:37:36.059
 righteous.

00:37:36.820 --> 00:37:37.539
 They're righteous.

00:37:37.820 --> 00:37:38.720
 Now, there's nobody

00:37:38.720 --> 00:37:39.900
 righteous by themselves.

00:37:41.280 --> 00:37:42.000
 So don't get the

00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:42.740
 impression that there are

00:37:42.740 --> 00:37:43.619
 some people who have

00:37:43.619 --> 00:37:45.940
 somehow lived such a

00:37:45.940 --> 00:37:47.019
 great life that God

00:37:47.019 --> 00:37:47.780
 calls them righteous.

00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:49.460
 There's only one way in

00:37:49.460 --> 00:37:50.420
 which God will call you

00:37:50.420 --> 00:37:51.559
 righteous and that is by

00:37:51.559 --> 00:37:52.880
 faith in Jesus Christ.

00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:53.000
 Christ.

00:37:53.519 --> 00:37:54.880
 When a person comes to

00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:56.960
 faith in Jesus, then God

00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:57.900
 calls us righteous.

00:37:58.340 --> 00:37:59.480
 That's the way to be.

00:37:59.720 --> 00:38:00.820
 That's what the gospel is

00:38:00.820 --> 00:38:01.260
 all about.

00:38:01.539 --> 00:38:02.559
 That's what God promises

00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:04.340
 us in the death of

00:38:04.340 --> 00:38:04.680
 Jesus.

00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:05.840
 His righteousness.

00:38:06.440 --> 00:38:08.160
 Our standing before him.

00:38:10.660 --> 00:38:11.539
 And he says, let the

00:38:11.539 --> 00:38:12.420
 righteous still do right.

00:38:12.460 --> 00:38:13.099
 In other words, keep

00:38:13.099 --> 00:38:13.539
 going.

00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:14.240
 Keep going.

00:38:14.340 --> 00:38:15.579
 Keep persevering.

00:38:15.579 --> 00:38:19.000
 life can be so difficult

00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:20.799
 as believers, for

00:38:20.799 --> 00:38:22.159
 believers, in a world in

00:38:22.159 --> 00:38:23.360
 which so many things are

00:38:23.360 --> 00:38:25.219
 thrown at us and there's

00:38:25.219 --> 00:38:28.340
 so much sin in us still to

00:38:28.340 --> 00:38:29.179
 be warred with.

00:38:29.299 --> 00:38:30.579
 But just keep going.

00:38:30.739 --> 00:38:31.840
 Keep looking to Jesus.

00:38:32.519 --> 00:38:35.840
 Keep putting into practice

00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:36.440
 his word.

00:38:36.440 --> 00:38:41.059
 And then lastly, the very

00:38:41.059 --> 00:38:42.800
 last words of revelation

00:38:42.800 --> 00:38:45.240
 are these.

00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:46.940
 The one who is thirsty.

00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:50.900
 Verse 17.

00:38:51.900 --> 00:38:53.360
 Let the one who is thirsty

00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:54.460
 come.

00:38:55.679 --> 00:38:57.559
 Let the one who desires take

00:38:57.559 --> 00:38:59.860
 the water of life without

00:38:59.860 --> 00:39:00.500
 price.

00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:04.260
 I cannot think of any

00:39:04.260 --> 00:39:07.619
 simpler words in which

00:39:07.619 --> 00:39:09.760
 to explain the gospel,

00:39:09.940 --> 00:39:11.320
 the invitation of the

00:39:11.320 --> 00:39:11.420
 God.

00:39:11.480 --> 00:39:12.380
 Here is God.

00:39:13.539 --> 00:39:14.659
 These are not my words.

00:39:14.739 --> 00:39:15.679
 These are God's words.

00:39:15.860 --> 00:39:16.860
 And they're saying this.

00:39:17.400 --> 00:39:18.179
 Are you thirsty?

00:39:20.440 --> 00:39:23.400
 I'm not going to go into

00:39:23.400 --> 00:39:24.780
 the biology of what it

00:39:24.780 --> 00:39:26.019
 means to be thirsty.

00:39:26.139 --> 00:39:27.219
 We all know what it means

00:39:27.219 --> 00:39:27.920
 to be thirsty.

00:39:27.920 --> 00:39:30.740
 Are you thirsty?

00:39:33.300 --> 00:39:34.840
 God says if you are,

00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:39.440
 come and drink.

00:39:40.880 --> 00:39:42.400
 There are no more simple

00:39:42.400 --> 00:39:43.380
 words in the Bible.

00:39:43.659 --> 00:39:44.980
 The gospel, you cannot,

00:39:46.460 --> 00:39:47.400
 and this is why God is

00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:48.579
 saying don't complicate the

00:39:48.579 --> 00:39:48.840
 gospel.

00:39:49.019 --> 00:39:50.039
 Don't twist the gospel to

00:39:50.039 --> 00:39:50.860
 make it complicated.

00:39:51.320 --> 00:39:52.960
 Make sure that you keep the

00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:54.380
 words that I've, in which

00:39:54.380 --> 00:39:55.720
 I've explained the gospel.

00:39:55.840 --> 00:39:56.599
 Are you thirsty?

00:39:57.920 --> 00:40:03.059
 Then come and take and

00:40:03.059 --> 00:40:03.440
 drink.

00:40:04.220 --> 00:40:05.740
 It's God's gift.

00:40:06.700 --> 00:40:07.940
 You can't do anything to

00:40:07.940 --> 00:40:08.440
 earn it.

00:40:08.680 --> 00:40:09.440
 So don't try.

00:40:10.200 --> 00:40:13.200
 Just come and take it.

00:40:14.820 --> 00:40:17.460
 Without money and without

00:40:17.460 --> 00:40:17.900
 price.

00:40:21.300 --> 00:40:22.059
 Let's pray.

00:40:22.840 --> 00:40:24.240
 Our Father in heaven, we

00:40:24.240 --> 00:40:25.460
 pray that you will

00:40:25.460 --> 00:40:31.220
 that your word will dwell

00:40:31.220 --> 00:40:32.500
 in our hearts.

00:40:33.639 --> 00:40:34.940
 And we pray that your

00:40:34.940 --> 00:40:36.159
 word in the hands of your

00:40:36.159 --> 00:40:37.280
 Holy Spirit will have

00:40:37.280 --> 00:40:40.240
 an impact as we go away

00:40:40.240 --> 00:40:41.199
 from this place and

00:40:41.199 --> 00:40:44.420
 as we think more about

00:40:44.420 --> 00:40:46.079
 what we've, about what

00:40:46.079 --> 00:40:46.940
 your plan is.

00:40:47.039 --> 00:40:49.039
 This world is not a

00:40:49.039 --> 00:40:50.380
 random series of events,

00:40:50.599 --> 00:40:52.119
 but you will bring it to a

00:40:52.119 --> 00:40:54.299
 close and you will

00:40:54.299 --> 00:40:56.480
 bring about the new

00:40:56.480 --> 00:40:57.460
 heaven and the new

00:40:57.460 --> 00:40:57.739
 earth.

00:40:57.920 --> 00:40:59.460
 And Lord, our prayer is

00:40:59.460 --> 00:41:00.619
 that all of us, all of us

00:41:00.619 --> 00:41:01.579
 here tonight, all of us,

00:41:01.679 --> 00:41:02.819
 everyone without exception

00:41:02.819 --> 00:41:03.440
 will be there.

00:41:04.799 --> 00:41:05.920
 But nobody will be left

00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:06.159
 out.

00:41:06.259 --> 00:41:06.900
 Nobody will be on the

00:41:06.900 --> 00:41:07.359
 outside.

00:41:08.900 --> 00:41:10.259
 But that all of us will

00:41:10.259 --> 00:41:12.759
 take the water of life

00:41:12.759 --> 00:41:15.559
 that Jesus offers us in the

00:41:15.559 --> 00:41:15.900
 gospel.

00:41:16.500 --> 00:41:17.279
 In his name.

00:41:17.280 --> 00:41:18.240
 Amen.

00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:25.000
 Well, we're going to sing in

00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:26.680
 the traditional version of

00:41:26.680 --> 00:41:28.019
 Psalm 100.

00:41:31.680 --> 00:41:34.740
 It's on page 362 and it's

00:41:34.740 --> 00:41:35.460
 Heron Gate.

00:41:37.940 --> 00:41:39.740
 The reason this psalm came to

00:41:39.740 --> 00:41:41.160
 my mind is when I was

00:41:41.160 --> 00:41:43.100
 thinking of Revelation 21 and

00:41:43.100 --> 00:41:46.080
 22, that I thought of the

00:41:46.079 --> 00:41:48.860
 great company of people and

00:41:48.860 --> 00:41:51.299
 that consists of people in

00:41:51.299 --> 00:41:52.659
 the world from all nations

00:41:52.659 --> 00:41:54.119
 and tribes and languages who

00:41:54.119 --> 00:41:55.679
 have come to know Jesus.

00:41:56.739 --> 00:41:58.099
 And this is our prayer.

00:41:58.259 --> 00:42:00.460
 All people that on earth do

00:42:00.460 --> 00:42:02.039
 dwell, sing to the Lord with

00:42:02.039 --> 00:42:04.360
 cheerful voice and him serve

00:42:04.360 --> 00:42:05.559
 with mirth as praise force

00:42:05.559 --> 00:42:05.799
 tell.

00:42:05.940 --> 00:42:08.400
 Come ye before him and rejoice.

00:42:08.599 --> 00:42:10.239
 Psalm 100 and we'll stand to

00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:10.480
 sing.

00:42:10.480 --> 00:42:10.539
 Amen.

00:42:10.539 --> 00:42:21.460
 O people that on earth do

00:42:21.460 --> 00:42:27.579
 dwell, sing to the Lord with

00:42:27.579 --> 00:42:30.980
 cheerful voice.

00:42:30.980 --> 00:42:37.559
 And set with birth and space

00:42:37.559 --> 00:42:39.279
 forth tell.

00:42:39.279 --> 00:42:47.480
 Come ye before him and rejoice.

00:42:47.480 --> 00:42:56.840
 Know that the Lord is God indeed.

00:42:56.840 --> 00:43:13.760
 We are his flock he doth us feed.

00:43:13.760 --> 00:43:22.760
 And for his sheep he doth us take.

00:43:22.760 --> 00:43:31.680
 O enter then his gates with praise

00:43:31.680 --> 00:43:39.540
 approach with joy his course unto

00:43:39.540 --> 00:43:48.680
 praise God and bless his name always

00:43:48.679 --> 00:43:49.679
 praise.

00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:57.599
 For it is simply so to do.

00:43:57.599 --> 00:44:07.399
 For why the Lord our God is true.

00:44:07.399 --> 00:44:15.599
 His mercy is forever true.

00:44:15.599 --> 00:44:24.519
 His truth that all times firmly stood

00:44:24.519 --> 00:44:32.900
 and shall from age to age endure.

00:44:34.519 --> 00:44:36.599
 Our Father in heaven we thank you

00:44:36.599 --> 00:44:38.360
 for all your goodness and all the

00:44:38.360 --> 00:44:39.860
 privilege that belongs to us.

00:44:39.860 --> 00:44:43.000
 And we do pray that we may have the

00:44:43.000 --> 00:44:47.640
 grace and the strength to apply your

00:44:47.640 --> 00:44:49.599
 word into our lives as we let our

00:44:49.599 --> 00:44:50.480
 light so shine.

00:44:50.559 --> 00:44:52.120
 We thank you for the provision that

00:44:52.120 --> 00:44:53.539
 you make for us every day and for the

00:44:53.539 --> 00:44:54.980
 provision that has been made for us

00:44:54.980 --> 00:44:56.519
 next door in our fellowship.

00:44:57.240 --> 00:44:59.340
 Make us thankful for it all.

00:44:59.840 --> 00:45:01.320
 And we bless you for the hands that

00:45:01.320 --> 00:45:02.780
 prepared it and for all the goodness

00:45:03.320 --> 00:45:05.120
 that you have given to your church.

00:45:05.240 --> 00:45:07.800
 And now may grace and mercy and peace

00:45:07.800 --> 00:45:10.560
 from both from Father, Son, and Holy

00:45:10.560 --> 00:45:10.920
 Spirit.

00:45:11.060 --> 00:45:13.560
 Rest on and abide with each one of

00:45:13.560 --> 00:45:14.680
 us both now and always.

00:45:14.680 --> 00:45:15.580
 Amen.

00:45:15.580 --> 00:45:15.720
 Amen.

00:45:15.720 --> 00:45:15.720


00:45:15.720 --> 00:45:15.720


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00:45:15.720 --> 00:45:15.720


00:45:15.719 --> 00:45:45.699
 Thank you.