Latest / HBCWestminster / 7.24.22 Revelation 21 Pastor Danny Gardner

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7.24.22 Revelation 21 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  this morning we're talking about heaven the title of this morning's message is very simply this world is not my home this world is not my home now in generations past perhaps life has been easy enough or comfortable enough or heaven-like enough that believers have been reluctant to yearn for their heavenly home the way that they should
• 0:28
  But in the last several years, and with the prospect of the next several, it has become impossible for Christ-loving believers not to realize that we don't belong here. And church, that's great news. Because the reminder that we don't belong here actually makes us yearn for our heavenly home. Hebrews 11 and verse 14 says this, For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
• 0:59
  That this is not our home church, and we actually want a place where we will belong. It says if they had been thinking of that land from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Philippians chapter 3 and verse 20, a familiar text, but our citizenship is where? In heaven.
• 1:28
  and from it we await a Savior. Colossians 3, and what an encouragement this is. This is what we will seek to do this morning. Colossians 3, verse 2, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. You know that the Scriptures refer to heaven more than 500 times.
• 2:00
  Imagine that for a moment. If your Bibles are anywhere from 700 to 1,000 pages long, let's go on the big end and say 1,000. If they're 1,000 pages long, that means that every other page refers to heaven somewhere. If your Bible is open and you've got two pages showing, heaven is somewhere on those two pages. 500 times. Heaven is real. Heaven is an actual place.
• 2:28
  And although heaven exists in another dimension for us now, it will feel just as real when we get there as this dimension feels for us currently. Right now, earth feels real because we have physical earthly bodies. But on that day, when we have spiritual and heavenly bodies, then the heavens will feel just as real there as the earth feels now.
• 3:00
  Many in our church have experienced difficulty and hardship this summer, and I know that there are many families who are rejoicing. There are many also who are suffering. There has been difficult news this summer, and so I thought it would be fitting to cast our vision heavenward to remind us of what awaits. The passage before us, Revelation 21, is one of the clearest depictions of heaven in the entire Scriptures.
• 3:29
  And church, this is what we have to look forward to. You'll notice first, verses 1 to 8, and I've just divided the text into two main sections, verses 1 to 8 and then verses 9 to 27, but verses 1 to 8, you'll notice there is a new heaven and a new earth. Look at verse 1. It says, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Now, it is impossible not to see Genesis 1-1 echoed in this statement.
• 3:58
  When the Lord creates the new heaven and the new earth, it does not mean that the dwelling place of God, that is, that heaven, will be recreated. Rather, the creation itself, including the heavens. When Genesis 1 says, God created the heavens and the earth, this is that reflection. He's talking about the earthly heavens. The earth and the heavens will be made new. The entire book of Revelation to this point has been about the Lord.
• 4:26
  destroying the heavens and the earth the stars the sun the clouds the land the sea the plants the animals have at this point been pretty well extinguished the universe has been destroyed the rebels have been banished satan and his followers have been cast into the lake of fire and now in chapter 21 the lord starts over he recreates now the word new
• 4:59
  The word new, new heaven, new earth, describes more than mere sequence. It doesn't just mean that it comes next as if the universe is new simply because it succeeds the old. Rather, new in this context means it will be fresh and it will be of higher quality. Some things to note regarding this new heaven and new earth. You notice in verse 1, it's going to be different. It says, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And notice, what does the next phrase say? And the sea was no more.
• 5:31
  This new heaven and new earth will be radically different. No doubt the differences will abound, but consider just this one small statement. This is the only hint at the differences between the old earth and the new that the author gives us, is that there will be no more sea. And that is going to be radically different. The current sea covers more than two-thirds of the earth.
• 6:02
  Upon water the whole thing hinges upon water if you guys been watching the recent Mars rover that we sent up there Right this week it discovered what it discovered a ball of yarn a pile of string Was cruising around on Mars it found a pile of string and you guys people are freaking out about it and then the scientists said Well, yeah, we brought that string with us. I mean it fell off
• 6:33
  It landed on Mars and it discovered the ball of yarn that we brought. And people are freaking out about this ball of string. You can go look it up. It's crazy. Can you imagine the reaction of people if they discovered water? Water on Mars would be a pretty big deal. Why? Because it can sustain life. Right? Everything we have on this earth is sustained.
• 7:01
  By water. And yet here the author says there isn't going to be any of that there. The earth's tides and atmosphere and climates are all determined by the sea. But the new earth and the new heavens will be based on a different life principle. Here we are sustained with physical water. There we will be sustained with living water. The kind of living water that you can only find in who? Jesus.
• 7:32
  continue it will be different but notice there will also be a city verse 2 says and i saw the holy city new jerusalem coming down out of heaven from god prepared as a bride adorned for her husband the new earth's capital city will be jerusalem now there'll be a lot more on this in the next section at the end of the chapter we'll talk about the new jerusalem
• 7:54
  This is now the third Jerusalem mentioned in the scriptures, the first being the historic city of David, what we know now as Jerusalem. If you guys sign up for the Israel trip scheduled for March, we will go to that Jerusalem, the historic city of David. The second Jerusalem will be the Jerusalem from which Jesus will rule and reign during the millennium. Now this...
• 8:20
  This city, this third Jerusalem, is currently being prepared for us by Christ, even now. It is the city which currently contains all of heaven, but which will descend into the newly created universe at the end of time. Consider again the implications of this statement. A city means, implies, relationship, activity, right? You don't have a city.
• 8:51
  Without activity, without responsibility, there will be jobs perhaps given. People will be given certain responsibilities in order to cause this city to flourish. There will be unity. There will be cooperation. All in the heavenly city. Now church, I don't know what you have pictured when you picture heaven. But whatever you imagine, don't imagine being bored. There will be plenty to do.
• 9:23
  There is a city to run. Notice also, the Lord will be present. Look at verse 3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them as their God. What a great verse that is. Maybe the greatest thing about heaven is the presence of the one who makes heaven, heaven.
• 9:53
  Heaven is wherever God dwells. That is heaven. The very presence of God is heaven. And here it says that God will dwell with us. He will not be distant. He will not be far off. John MacArthur has worded it this way. He says the supreme glory and joy of heaven is the person of God.
• 10:18
  This will be a manifestation of God's glorious presence to His people like no other in redemptive history. The culmination of all divine promise and human hope. Consider for a moment, friends, if the presence of God is heaven itself, and the presence of God resides within every believer. Don't we say that that's true? That the Spirit of God...
• 10:43
  resides in us we are the temple of the holy spirit the holy spirit residing in us if the presence of god resides in us and the presence of god is heaven itself then shouldn't hanging out with us feel like heaven so let me ask you does it does it feel heavenly when people are around you i mean if i were to ask your friends and your co-workers is it heavenly if i were to ask your spouse is it heavenly
• 11:17
  being around, the presence of God in your spouse, in your kids, in those who profess faith. Church, this is a very big deal. The presence of God is heaven itself. And we should, until that day, when we are in the presence of God in heaven, we should, until then, manifest almost a heavenly essence because the Spirit of God dwells in us. It says the Lord will be present, but not only that, it says in verse 4 that there will be comfort.
• 11:48
  There will be comfort. It says, verse 4, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. For the former things have passed away. There is perhaps nothing more heartbreaking on this earth than the tears of our kids. We are at times almost willing to do anything to stop those tears.
• 12:18
  We are willing to take drastic measures if our children's hearts are breaking. And now, church, here's a crazy thought. In a wonderful thing about heaven, there will be an absence of tears because there will be an absence of things to cry about. No more pain, no more separation or loss or disappointment or regret. In fact, sadness in general will be eradicated. Can you imagine that? It's not to say that it's impossible for us to cry in heaven.
• 12:51
  Rather, there is nothing to cry about. Mourning will cease. Sadness will be gone. There will be comfort. Verse 5 says it will be entirely new. Look at verse 5. And he who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. The new heaven and the new earth we find will be a fresh start. And that's good news because of Genesis 3. You guys remember Genesis 3?
• 13:22
  You guys remember Genesis 1. I'm getting a lot of blank stares, right? Genesis 1. What happens in Genesis 1? There's creation. Genesis 2 is a retelling of that same event. What happens in Genesis 3? Sin. Fall. The fall. And from Genesis 3 until now, and until this day, until Revelation 21, this earth is under a curse. We are cursed.
• 13:50
  the ground is cursed the sky is cursed in fact romans chapter 8 and verse 18 says everything in all of creation is groaning and that is how it feels isn't it everything in all of creation is groaning until jesus returns we long for the lord to come back and now verse 5 says jesus says i am making all things new no longer under
• 14:18
  curse and what has characterized this planet since Genesis chapter 3 decay and decline and lack and a waste will all pass away it'll be new notice verse 6 says it will be finished complete satisfied verse 6 and he said to me it is done I'm the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end
• 14:48
  To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. More good news, church. The Lord, we find, doesn't hold grudges. He says that forgiveness that we have been offered is real. That there will be no getting to heaven and then being disappointed. Realizing that the blood of Jesus covered almost all of my sin. Can you imagine? What would that be like?
• 15:21
  All but one. Like, oh, I'm so close. No, this says all of it. I will give from the spring of the water of life, that living water, without payment. There are no hard feelings in heaven. Do you know, I was only ever suspended from school one time. One time when I was in the seventh grade, I got suspended.
• 15:50
  I got caught drawing a picture of various teachers of mine at the time. And I would not say that this picture was drawn with accuracy. And I would not say that this picture was drawn with any respect whatsoever to any of them. I had a very low view of my teachers then. And I got caught. This thing was found. And the teacher who caught me was depicted in the picture.
• 16:21
  His name was Bill Cartwright. Bill Cartwright, who, like I said, I had a very low opinion of until I got caught. His response was awesome. He took the picture. He didn't really say anything. Brought it to the principal. Principal handled it. I was suspended for disrespect and was given a two-day vacation, which in my home wasn't a vacation. And when I came back,
• 16:48
  You know, it was interesting. When I came back to school, I had, I was seventh grade, so I was, I don't know, 12-year-old. I came back to school, and you know that pit in your stomach? Like, this is going to be awkward when I see them all again. I came back to school. I go into Mr. Cartwright's class, and you guys, he could not have been kinder. He could not have been more delightful. He was expressive and genuine and so outgoing, and he just blasted right through the awkward, and then guess what he did?
• 17:20
  He shared the gospel with me. And then guess what I did? I received it and was saved. Isn't that crazy? In the seventh grade. Now listen, church, what if? I have no idea where that dude is, Bill Cartwright. I don't even know if he's still alive. I have no, I never saw him after that year. I have no idea. What if he had held a grudge? What if he had just not, you know, said, yeah, seventh grade, stupid seventh grade kid.
• 17:53
  I'm going to make your life hard. Man. Because he was just willing to say, yeah, forgiven. Forgiven. Real forgiveness, church. And that's where I came to Christ. I'd heard the gospel many times before. I don't know what it was that was different about that time, but that was the time. Isn't that awesome? Imagine this again. Look what Jesus says. I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. Forgiven.
• 18:23
  Real forgiveness. He's just going to blast right through the awkward. He's going to be so kind and so caring. Delightful. Finished. Complete. Verse 7 says there will be an inheritance to those who overcome. It says in verse 7, the one who conquers will have this heritage. I will be his God and he will be my son. Those who will populate heaven are described two ways. First, as those who thirst. We just read that in verse 6.
• 18:53
  That phrase is taken from the Beatitudes, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Those who thirst are they who will never be satisfied with the hopeless condition of the old earth. They want what only the Lord can provide. We're described that way, those who hunger and thirst for what only the Lord can provide. But here, in verse 7, we are also described as overcomers.
• 19:18
  Overcomers are those who have expressed saving faith in Christ because only He can overcome. In order for us to be overcomers, we must be found in Him. He is the only one who can overcome the world. 1 John 5, for everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. Praise God. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Not our works, our faith.
• 19:49
  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? We will overcome. Notice, finally, this new heaven and new earth will be exclusive. Look at verse 8. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars,
• 20:17
  Their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. And church, as much as I may wish it were so, and as much as it may be preached today, unfortunately, not everyone goes to heaven. And there are entire mainline denominations who preach that, that everybody just ends up in heaven someday. That is not what this says. And to be honest, church,
• 20:51
  Do you really want everyone to go to heaven? Unrepentant mass murderers? Is that who you want there? We don't want them there. Isn't that true? I mean, unrepentant serial rapists or child molesters? Are you serious? No. We don't actually want that to be true. And here the Lord alleviates that tension by just saying it's not true. The Lord Jesus, we find, will not.
• 21:25
  allow unrepentant sinners to enter heaven indeed he cannot or else heaven would become just like earth it would just be another earth another cursed earth we would bring the fall with us and so the lord says no nobody who has not received that living water can come because you're bringing with you the curse it will be exclusive and church that is good news
• 21:57
  That's the new heaven and a new earth. But notice also the remainder of the chapter, there will be a new Jerusalem, a new city. The new heavens and the new earth will be created to house the new city, the new Jerusalem. And that new city will become the capital city of heaven. It will become the eternal dwelling place of believers. Here is the city that we will dwell in for eternity. Notice, what will it look like from the outside? You pick up in verse 9.
• 22:27
  Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me saying, come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb. And so from the outside, he says, it's going to look like the bride, the wife of the lamb. The new Jerusalem is called the bride, the wife, because it will draw its character from those that dwell within its walls. That term bride will come to include all of those redeemed from all of time.
• 22:58
  The scene described here is like when the doors are flung open at weddings and the bride is revealed for the first time to her husband. You guys have all attended a wedding, right? And those back doors are flung open and everybody in the audience stands and all of the attention is pointed back to that bride. And what is that bride doing? She's smiling, right? I mean, that's it.
• 23:30
  And everybody's attention is diverted that way. Now, listen, church, I've done a lot of weddings. It's somewhere in the neighborhood of 100. I'm not totally sure. Somewhere around 100 weddings, I'm always the guy standing right here, and the guy standing next to me is the groom, right? And when we walk in, you know, it's kind of normal that we walk in, and I stand right here, and then he stands here, and then all of his guys are with him, right? At that moment, and all of the young ladies are coming down, and they're filing in and doing their thing. As soon as those doors open,
• 24:00
  I take a big step to my right, and I grab his shoulder, and I pull him to his right, and I stand here, and he stands right here so that those two are lined up. I do it every time. And everybody in the church is looking back except for me. I'm the only one, typically, who is not looking back. I'm looking at him. And what is he doing? He is smiling. Sometimes crying, always smiling.
• 24:31
  Why? I can't believe I got her to say yes. I can't believe it. I have actually had, you guys, I've actually had young grooms come and tell me, Danny, listen, I know you're going to share the gospel and I know you're going to do all of that during the ceremony, but you've got to make that quick, man. You've got to make it quick. Be fast. I don't want her changing her mind. You tie that knot, dude. You get it done. He can't wait.
• 25:02
  He can't wait. And listen, church, we're the bride. There will be a day, and this verse described it, there will be a day when those doors are flung open and we'll be standing there on one side of the aisle. We'll be in the back and we'll have that big smile on our face. But guess who will be at the front? Jesus. We'll be standing up there at the front and guess what he will be doing? Man, he'll be smiling. He'll be just like that young groom. I can't believe the day is finally here.
• 25:32
  Just like we are eager to be there at church, He is eager for us to be there. He can't wait. And like a young groom with that big goofy smile on his face, He will receive us. Come, it says, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. Man, that will be a great day. Notice it continues, verses 10-12.
• 25:58
  He carried me away in the Spirit to a great high mountain, showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were depicted. The strength of a city is determined by the strength of its walls and its gates.
• 26:27
  New Jerusalem's walls were immense. We'll talk about that in just a minute because it actually gives dimensions. Its gates were protected by angels. That's what it will be like. And notice, each of these gates is named, verse 13, on the east three gates, on the north...
• 26:47
  three gates on the south three gates on the west three gates and the wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb the names of israel's tribes were meant as a reminder of god's unending covenant with the jews the names of the twelve apostles who became the foundation stones of the church ephesians 2 says
• 27:14
  remind us of God's new everlasting covenant with His blood. And so follow this, and I'll just touch on it. We could do a whole sermon series on this, but the 12 tribes of Israel were meant to remind Israel of the covenant-keeping nature of God. Yahweh keeps His promise. The 12 apostles' names are meant to remind the church of God's new and everlasting covenant through the blood of His Son.
• 27:45
  So every time you come in or out of the city and you pass through one of those gates, you're reminded by the name of the gate that God's blood worked. That's what it will look like from the outside. Well, how big will it be? Look at verse 15. The one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and its walls. The city lies four square. So in other words, it's a big square. It's length the same as its width.
• 28:13
  He measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. We'll come back to that. Its length and its width and its height are equal. So it's not just a square, it's also what? It's a cube. It's the shape of a cube. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. The wall was built of jasper.
• 28:36
  The city was pure gold like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. So how big is the city going to be? It's enormous.
• 29:06
  The finding of the angelic measurement is that the city will be a cube. Each dimension, he says, 12,000 stadia. Now you probably have in your Bibles a little translator's note. Do you guys all see that? Probably a little number one. If you go down to the bottom, you'll find out that 12,000 stadia is 1,380 miles. So one side of the city is almost 1,400 miles.
• 29:36
  That's a square, and then it's cubed. So it's almost 1,400 miles tall. Now, here is a picture that we're probably all familiar with. You guys all see North America. You see about where Denver would be. You guys all see that right about in the middle. Denver is there. Now, 1,400 miles from here, approximately, is Pittsburgh. So from here to Pittsburgh.
• 30:06
  That's how long the wall will be. Can you imagine? From here south, 1400 miles approximately, is Mexico City. So you're talking about one city from Denver to Pittsburgh to Mexico City. There it is. That's how big the city of God will be. Its walls, it says, will be 200 feet thick.
• 30:34
  And it's this massive city, and as tall as it is wide and long in terms of volume, the New Jerusalem, what he just described, the New Jerusalem will be about half the volume of the moon. That's how big the new city will be. Now, don't imagine...
• 30:59
  being squeezed into the New Jerusalem, like all of those pictures you see of Noah's Ark in the children's nurseries, right? Like they are smashed onto this little boat, and you're like, how would they possibly fit on that little boat? Well, the only way they would fit is to have the giraffe's heads poking out, right? And so you can imagine the New Jerusalem, all of us smashed in there with Pastor Sam's head poking out the top.
• 31:27
  Like a sunroof. That is not even close to what this says. The city is going to be enormous. What's it going to look like from the inside? Pick up in verse 21. It says, And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. What is the costliest element on earth? The metal by which money's value is determined.
• 32:00
  That element will become as common as asphalt. Gold is so prevalent that they line the streets with it. Look at verse 22. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God, the Almighty, the Lamb. There will be no need for a temple. There will be no escaping the presence of God and no need to go to a temple to worship Him. His presence will be with us.
• 32:26
  All the time. Look at verse 23. The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it. For the glory of God gives its light. Its lamp is the lamb. No light other than the light of the world. No day, no night, always bright. Continues in verse 24. By its light will the nations walk and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
• 32:56
  That phrase kings of the earth probably refers to the equality of all people in heaven. We will all be kings and queens. Even the old earth's kings, it says, will shed their own glory when they step into the glory of heaven. Verse 26, which we'll mention just for a moment in a moment, continues that same thought by saying that the glory of the nations will also be surrendered in heaven. We will all be equal. There is no station.
• 33:23
  or status in fact it will be the fulfillment i believe of galatians 3 and verse 28 in christ there is neither jew nor greek and slave nor free male nor female you are all one in christ jesus i believe we find the fulfillment of that finally in heaven notice this and we'll conclude with this thought what will it be like to live there what will it be like verse 25 and its gates will never be shut by day
• 33:53
  There will be no night there, so it will be illumined. We will have access all the time. They will bring into the glory and the honor of the nations. It will be glorious, but nothing unclean will ever into it. It will be clean, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. It will be our family. In 2018, I led a short-term mission trip to the Philippines.
• 34:22
  I took 22 of our Highlanders to the Philippines for two weeks. And I love being in the Philippines. I love that country. I've been five times. I love it there. But every day that I'm there, I think about and I desire to be home. When I'm in the Philippines, it is only because I am on mission. And if I cease being on mission, then why be there? Just get me home. And church, with that thought, will finish.
• 34:55
  We're only here to be on mission. And our hearts should long to be home. That is what our hearts should yearn for. And if it ever feels like you don't fit in here, it's great news. Because we don't fit in here. We're not citizens of here. We eagerly long to be there. Many years ago, a man named Jim Reeves wrote a song. He says in that song, this world is not my home. I'm just passing through.
• 35:28
  My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore. And Lord, I pray that our hearts would long for heaven. Lord, it's where we belong. We cannot wait for that day, but Lord, until that day, keep us on mission. In Jesus' name, amen.