WEBVTT 00:00:03.968 --> 00:00:05.812 Are we ready for the word of God this morning? 00:00:05.812 --> 00:00:08.667 Amen, ready or not, here it comes. 00:00:08.667 --> 00:00:12.409 The title of today's message is All Things New. 00:00:12.409 --> 00:00:13.352 All Things New. 00:00:13.352 --> 00:00:18.268 Let's turn to Revelation, chapter 21, and we're going to be reading verses 1 through 8. 00:00:18.268 --> 00:00:21.469 Revelation 21, verses 1 through 8. 00:00:23.521 --> 00:00:32.512 Since then, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. 00:00:32.512 --> 00:00:41.780 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 00:00:41.780 --> 00:00:49.185 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. 00:00:49.185 --> 00:00:57.042 He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 00:00:57.042 --> 00:01:03.935 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. 00:01:03.935 --> 00:01:26.296 Come on now. 00:01:26.296 --> 00:01:28.382 And he said to me it is done. 00:01:28.382 --> 00:01:32.534 I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. 00:01:32.534 --> 00:01:38.147 To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life, without payment. 00:01:38.147 --> 00:01:45.028 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. 00:01:45.028 --> 00:02:03.384 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral sorcerers, idolaters and all liars, their portions will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. 00:02:03.384 --> 00:02:06.471 Let's pray together, father. 00:02:06.471 --> 00:02:09.043 We thank you and praise you for your matchless word. 00:02:09.043 --> 00:02:23.663 We thank you that you've left us so many signs and testimonies of the goodness of God and the truth concerning Jesus Christ, and primary amongst them is your very word, the Holy Bible. 00:02:23.663 --> 00:02:39.341 And so, lord, we thank you that, as we dig into these verses today, we ask that you would open the eyes of our understanding, that we would be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to see the truth that is found richly packed within these words from the book of Revelation. 00:02:39.341 --> 00:02:53.831 We pray, lord, that you would read us, that you would see us, that you would move in us, that you would transform us and, father, that you would be glorified in everything that is said and done in Jesus' name. 00:02:53.831 --> 00:02:55.034 Amen. 00:02:56.620 --> 00:03:01.883 When we first came into this building 10 years ago, this room didn't look like it looks today. 00:03:01.883 --> 00:03:03.524 This room didn't look like it looks today. 00:03:03.524 --> 00:03:10.108 Some of you were there back in that time and you walked in this room with concrete floors. 00:03:10.108 --> 00:03:18.492 The walls were very dirty, the ceiling was a mess, because this was an industrial facility. 00:03:18.492 --> 00:03:21.375 There was a lot of work that was going on in this place. 00:03:21.375 --> 00:03:33.983 In fact, the room was packed full of all kinds of industrial things, machinery and things that are built by machinery. 00:03:33.983 --> 00:03:34.885 It was just completely packed full. 00:03:34.885 --> 00:03:39.969 And if we hadn't been told that this had formerly been a church, there's no way that we could have discerned that just from walking in the building. 00:03:39.969 --> 00:03:59.532 I guess maybe if we looked up at the ceiling because, if I remember right, there were a couple of chains hanging up here where it was obvious that there had been a screen here at one point in time over this area, and maybe there was an outline of the stage here, if I remember right, but very little evidence of any kind that this had been a church at one time. 00:03:59.532 --> 00:04:16.473 It was a church, in fact, kelly and Nikki Kinder, one of our pastors, actually attended here at one point in time back in the day, and so obviously over the last 10 years we've done a lot and, by the grace of God, this place has become what it currently is. 00:04:16.473 --> 00:04:26.882 Right, there's been a complete transformation, there's been a huge renovation that has occurred here and, as we've been studying over the last several weeks the book of Nehemiah. 00:04:26.882 --> 00:04:28.148 What have we seen? 00:04:28.148 --> 00:04:32.321 We've seen the fact that God loves a good renovation project. 00:04:32.321 --> 00:04:39.016 God is in the renovation business In a similar way today. 00:04:39.016 --> 00:04:41.541 Our passage kind of borrows from this. 00:04:41.541 --> 00:04:47.502 This is an ultimate redo, an ultimate restoration, an ultimate renovation. 00:04:48.043 --> 00:04:53.442 John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was banished by the Roman government because they couldn't kill him. 00:04:53.442 --> 00:05:00.449 They tried to kill him and they couldn't kill him, and so they sent him to the Isle of Patmos and he was in the spirit on the Lord's day. 00:05:00.449 --> 00:05:08.146 He was having church all by himself, because that's all that was there, and he was extending praise and worship to God. 00:05:08.146 --> 00:05:16.137 And in the middle of that, god interrupted his time and he began to give him a vision of all of history, past, present and future. 00:05:16.137 --> 00:05:20.247 And he began to see glimpses of things that were very hard to describe. 00:05:20.247 --> 00:05:26.911 And he tried the best that he could to write down all of the things that he had seen and experienced. 00:05:27.339 --> 00:05:35.132 And please, when you read the book of Revelation, don't forget the first part that says this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:05:35.132 --> 00:05:37.827 This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:05:37.827 --> 00:06:03.165 It is not primarily the revelation of tank movements and nuclear weaponry, although that may be found somewhere within the chapters of the book, it is primarily the revelation of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God, as it advances throughout time, even though it comes under complete, utter frustration, persecution, difficulty, and yet what happens? 00:06:03.165 --> 00:06:10.367 It continues to endure because Jesus, our mighty king, is in charge and in control. 00:06:10.367 --> 00:06:11.911 Aren't you grateful for that? 00:06:11.911 --> 00:06:24.526 So at the end of this divine encounter, john sees the culmination of God's restoration plan and he says it like this behold, I am making all things new. 00:06:24.526 --> 00:06:27.353 Behold, I am making all things new. 00:06:27.353 --> 00:06:28.915 Behold, I am making all things new. 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:33.271 So let's talk about a few of the things that this passage describes to us as being made new. 00:06:33.271 --> 00:06:36.110 The first thing is that there's going to be a new creation. 00:06:36.110 --> 00:06:38.286 Let's read again verses one and two. 00:06:38.286 --> 00:06:48.865 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more, and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem. 00:06:48.865 --> 00:06:51.749 How many of you know that God is a creator? 00:06:51.749 --> 00:07:03.406 It's not just something that he does, it's a part of his character, it's a part of his nature. 00:07:03.406 --> 00:07:04.863 It's who he is. 00:07:05.687 --> 00:07:17.632 In the beginning we know and we read in the book of Genesis in chapter one God created what the heavens and the earth and he also created mankind and he placed Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. 00:07:17.632 --> 00:07:18.074 Right? 00:07:18.074 --> 00:07:28.403 Can you imagine with me for just a moment what it must have looked like in that place, for just a moment, what it must have looked like in that place, a place of perfection. 00:07:28.403 --> 00:07:29.627 The greens must have been the greenest of greens. 00:07:29.627 --> 00:07:31.672 The blues must have been the bluest of blues. 00:07:31.752 --> 00:07:38.274 I know, in my travels over time I've been to Ireland and I've seen a green that is almost impossible to describe. 00:07:38.274 --> 00:07:51.612 I've been to the southwest of the United States and seen the painted deserts and understood that this is just a picture, just a snapshot, a Polaroid, almost a faint impression of what it must have been like. 00:07:51.612 --> 00:07:55.168 I've been to the Caribbean and I've seen the bluest of waters. 00:07:55.168 --> 00:07:58.540 That the color is almost you can't even find it fully. 00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:03.348 It's indescribable, it's magnificent, it's spectacular. 00:08:03.348 --> 00:08:05.232 I've been to the Rocky Mountains. 00:08:05.331 --> 00:08:14.482 I grew up at the base of the Rocky Mountains and as you look up upon those mountains, you have to ask yourself, and maybe answer your own question Is there a God? 00:08:14.482 --> 00:08:17.704 And yes, there is a God. 00:08:17.704 --> 00:08:25.293 God is a creator, he's a creator, he loves to create new things. 00:08:25.293 --> 00:08:33.672 Can you imagine an earth, an earth that doesn't have that, where nature is at harmony instead of at odds with each other. 00:08:33.672 --> 00:08:39.567 Because, as pristine as we can find places in this world, how many of you know, they're just a taste. 00:08:39.567 --> 00:08:44.582 They're just a small expression of what could be, of what once was. 00:08:45.083 --> 00:08:54.836 And this scripture tells us, in Revelation 21, that we will experience the intent of God concerning his creation in its fullness. 00:08:54.836 --> 00:09:04.312 In its fullness, can you imagine a world with no hurricanes or tornadoes, or earthquakes or famines? 00:09:04.312 --> 00:09:06.173 Can you imagine an earth with no pests or thes, or earthquakes or famines? 00:09:06.173 --> 00:09:15.513 Can you imagine an earth with no pests or thorns, or thistles or snakes yes, I said it or spiders or mosquitoes? 00:09:15.513 --> 00:09:18.860 Can you imagine a place like that? 00:09:18.860 --> 00:09:28.028 Well, god's imagined it and he's going create it, and it's going to appear in the. 00:09:28.149 --> 00:09:38.738 I believe that it will be in this place that we will experience the newness of God, in a new creation in its complete majesty. 00:09:38.738 --> 00:09:44.044 So what went wrong with this place where we now find our residence? 00:09:44.044 --> 00:09:48.591 Adam and Eve, god's first created humans, rebelled against God. 00:09:48.591 --> 00:09:51.215 So what went wrong with this place where we now find our residence? 00:09:51.215 --> 00:09:53.357 Adam and Eve, god's first created humans, rebelled against God. 00:09:53.357 --> 00:09:58.000 They were given one job, right To obey one commandment, and they rebelled against him and they sinned, and the result was the marring of God's creation. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:06.480 Not only did they suffer the impact of that or the results of that, but the earth itself suffered the results of their fall from grace. 00:10:06.961 --> 00:10:14.261 From Genesis 3 through Revelation 20, the earth and everyone in it experiences the results of sin and death. 00:10:14.261 --> 00:10:21.140 Things like decay and destruction, death and evil are all part of our lives here on this earth. 00:10:21.140 --> 00:10:28.424 All we have to do is watch 30 seconds of the news and we see these things broadcast in front of all of our eyes. 00:10:28.424 --> 00:10:34.160 Even nature itself groans to be delivered from the curse. 00:10:34.160 --> 00:10:44.850 In Romans 8 21, it says that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 00:10:44.850 --> 00:11:06.113 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 00:11:06.113 --> 00:11:17.010 Even this earth moans and groans, and creation itself groans and cries out for newness to be made new. 00:11:17.010 --> 00:11:22.245 Aren't you glad that the story didn't end with Adam and Eve's sin. 00:11:22.245 --> 00:11:25.832 We're going to get to that all in just a minute. 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:37.100 When Adam and Eve sinned, god gave glimpses of this promise, as he promised that the Messiah would come, even in the middle of all of the curses that he was giving because of the sins that were committed. 00:11:37.100 --> 00:11:44.927 He says that there will be one who will come, who will rescue and save people from their sin. 00:11:44.927 --> 00:11:53.496 And if you read through the Old Testament, as we're doing, we see many glimpses, many prophecies that speak to a future point in time. 00:11:53.496 --> 00:12:00.408 The prophet Isaiah declared that salvation is found in God alone and that he will certainly judge sin. 00:12:00.408 --> 00:12:03.129 And he prophesies of the new heaven and new earth. 00:12:03.129 --> 00:12:06.831 And he says see, I will create new heavens and a new earth. 00:12:06.831 --> 00:12:09.548 The former things will not be remembered. 00:12:09.548 --> 00:12:13.951 My friends, we can look forward to a new creation. 00:12:13.951 --> 00:12:20.745 It is coming, ready or not, it is coming, it will come. 00:12:20.745 --> 00:12:24.591 It is the word of God and we can take it to the bank. 00:12:24.591 --> 00:12:31.527 But not only can we look forward to a new creation, we can also look forward to a new relationship. 00:12:31.527 --> 00:12:41.153 Reading on in Revelation 21, it says and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying behold the dwelling place of God is with man. 00:12:41.153 --> 00:12:50.692 He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God. 00:12:52.604 --> 00:12:59.590 How many of you know that God is not just interested in inanimate objects, he's not just interested in creating something and letting it be. 00:12:59.590 --> 00:13:03.811 God is interested primarily in relationship. 00:13:03.811 --> 00:13:06.307 God is a relational God. 00:13:06.307 --> 00:13:08.589 That's why he is called Father. 00:13:08.589 --> 00:13:11.145 He is our Father. 00:13:11.145 --> 00:13:12.384 And Jesus himself. 00:13:12.384 --> 00:13:15.966 When he was telling his disciples how to pray, how did he begin that prayer? 00:13:15.966 --> 00:13:21.231 Not with the list of requests, but our Father in heaven. 00:13:21.231 --> 00:13:27.791 Our Father and his Son are relational beings and the spirit with them. 00:13:27.791 --> 00:13:29.321 And he has a desire. 00:13:29.321 --> 00:13:36.885 In fact, the reason why he created humanity in the first place was so that he might have fellowship with them. 00:13:36.885 --> 00:13:39.192 You might say, well, was God lonely? 00:13:39.192 --> 00:13:40.736 Obviously not. 00:13:40.736 --> 00:13:41.940 God cannot be lonely. 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:44.293 He is content, completely content. 00:13:44.293 --> 00:13:51.754 But he desired, he had a desire to increase fellowship, and so he created humankind. 00:13:54.100 --> 00:14:06.068 And in the scripture we read of a time when God will not only be around us or be near us or dwell in us by his spirit, but that he will be with us. 00:14:06.068 --> 00:14:15.775 God, the father, god the son and God the spirit, will make their new home in this new heaven and new earth. 00:14:15.775 --> 00:14:20.293 It's interesting when you read the Bible, the different dwelling places of God. 00:14:20.293 --> 00:14:29.714 First we know that God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, and then he dwelt with Israel in the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and then also in the temple. 00:14:29.714 --> 00:14:40.225 And when Israel sinned towards the end of the Old Testament, we see that God even departed from those dwelling places and later Jesus Christ came to earth and dwelt among us. 00:14:40.225 --> 00:14:43.753 That was the incarnation Emmanuel, god with us. 00:14:43.753 --> 00:14:47.400 And today God does not live in human-made temples. 00:14:47.461 --> 00:14:52.452 How many of you know that this building isn't necessary or essential for God to dwell in? 00:14:52.452 --> 00:15:06.447 But we're thankful that because each and every one of you, who is carrying the Spirit of God on the inside of you, when you walked over the threshold of those doors on the outside, how many of you know that God came with you? 00:15:06.447 --> 00:15:16.477 The spirit of God that dwells on the inside of you came with you and all of our human spirits, informed by the Holy Spirit, as we gather together. 00:15:16.477 --> 00:15:21.152 There's a corporate presence of God that is involved in his church as well. 00:15:21.152 --> 00:15:25.679 That's why Hebrews tell us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:33.114 It's important because we experience God in a new and different way when we're able to be together. 00:15:34.922 --> 00:15:38.056 God created humanity, like I said, in order to have fellowship with him. 00:15:38.056 --> 00:15:41.203 That has always been his desire and his ultimate plan. 00:15:41.203 --> 00:15:45.792 But, how many of you know, unfortunately the plan was paused. 00:15:45.792 --> 00:15:50.049 It was placed on a temporary hold in the Garden of Eden. 00:15:50.049 --> 00:15:57.832 The result of the curse that came because of Adam and Eve's sin is not only that they were to be punished, but where were they sent? 00:15:57.832 --> 00:16:06.254 They were sent out of the Garden of Eden, no longer to enjoy the daily presence of their father. 00:16:06.254 --> 00:16:31.855 It says of them that they walked and talked with God in the coolness of the day in the garden, and because of their sin and because of the curse that came because of their sin, they were forced out of the garden and there were angels that were placed at the entrance of the garden with flaming swords to guard that entrance so that they would no longer be able to enter back in. 00:16:34.600 --> 00:16:36.443 Sin has its consequence. 00:16:36.443 --> 00:16:49.485 A holy God must deal with sin in order to remain holy, and it would be one thing if we were just talking about Adam and Eve, but how many of you know, it didn't stop with them. 00:16:49.485 --> 00:16:51.471 It went on. 00:16:51.471 --> 00:16:54.024 In fact, we are all born sinners. 00:16:54.024 --> 00:16:58.875 We are all born with a sinful nature that separates us from God. 00:16:58.875 --> 00:17:05.511 Sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all people. 00:17:05.511 --> 00:17:08.204 This is found in Romans 5, verse 12. 00:17:08.204 --> 00:17:13.354 Every one of us was affected by Adam's sin, every one of us. 00:17:13.354 --> 00:17:17.209 There are no exceptions, obviously, except for Jesus. 00:17:17.209 --> 00:17:22.723 One trespass resulted in condemnation for all people. 00:17:22.723 --> 00:17:27.000 Not only that, but we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:29.065 We all have sinned. 00:17:29.385 --> 00:17:44.483 Ephesians 2 describes it like this and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 00:17:44.483 --> 00:17:47.526 My friends, all of us were born in this condition. 00:17:47.526 --> 00:18:11.402 All of us were born dead to God. 00:18:11.402 --> 00:18:15.069 All of us were born with a chasm between us and God, and we could not bridge that gap. 00:18:15.069 --> 00:18:20.608 I don't care you know how many prayers that you prayed, I don't care what you attempted to do to try to reach God, I don't know. 00:18:20.608 --> 00:18:27.688 I don't care how good your nature was or how many good things that you did here on this earth to help things and to help people. 00:18:27.688 --> 00:18:35.429 None of it is good enough to reach a holy righteous judge, a holy righteous God. 00:18:37.641 --> 00:18:46.468 In order for us to understand the goodness of God and salvation, we must understand the punishment and the penalty and the power of sin. 00:18:46.468 --> 00:19:08.886 There are not many churches on Easter Sunday that will be preaching about sin, but I promise you, unless you understand it, you cannot understand the glorious majesty and unbelievable truth that we've been ransomed, that we've been bought back. 00:19:08.886 --> 00:19:16.521 You see, sin has caused not just a problem, but eternal separation from God. 00:19:16.521 --> 00:19:21.179 We were dead in our sins, we were hopeless. 00:19:21.179 --> 00:19:24.597 Let that sink in for a minute. 00:19:24.597 --> 00:19:35.260 Thankfully, the story does not end there and, by the way, when I say story, this is completely true. 00:19:37.109 --> 00:19:45.893 Jesus is God's solution, just as we know that sin has affected each and every person other than Jesus that's ever lived on this planet. 00:19:45.893 --> 00:19:48.178 Jesus is the solution. 00:19:48.178 --> 00:19:51.564 Jesus is the savior of the world. 00:19:51.564 --> 00:19:59.337 You see, from the very moment that the curse came in the garden, there was a promise given that the one who would come to make all things right. 00:19:59.337 --> 00:20:00.601 How would he do it? 00:20:00.601 --> 00:20:03.336 He would do it by being a willing sacrifice for sin. 00:20:03.336 --> 00:20:04.880 Hebrews 9 says so. 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:09.718 Christ has now become the high priest over all the good things that have come. 00:20:09.718 --> 00:20:18.542 He has entered that greater, more perfect tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 00:20:18.542 --> 00:20:28.843 With his own blood, not the blood of goats and calves, he entered the most holy place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 00:20:28.843 --> 00:20:36.978 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity. 00:20:36.978 --> 00:20:48.566 Just think how much more, how much more, the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds, so that we can worship the living God. 00:20:48.566 --> 00:20:57.104 For by the power of the eternal spirit, christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 00:20:59.510 --> 00:21:05.864 Jesus, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 00:21:05.864 --> 00:21:16.847 You see, jesus, the perfect son of God, god incarnate, came to this earth to represent the father in all of his glory. 00:21:16.847 --> 00:21:20.234 He lived his life in complete obedience to the father. 00:21:20.234 --> 00:21:26.212 He was tempted in every way, just like we are, yet without sin. 00:21:26.212 --> 00:21:32.223 He exemplified the kingdom of God by his teachings, his miracles and by his compassion. 00:21:32.223 --> 00:21:42.161 After being betrayed and falsely accused, and beaten and mocked, he was led to a cruel death on a cross, like a lamb to the slaughter. 00:21:42.161 --> 00:21:52.476 But make no mistake, today we are here to celebrate something more, something else, something in addition to the cross where Jesus was nailed. 00:21:52.836 --> 00:21:58.792 How many of you know that Jesus did not lay in the borrowed tomb that he was given for long? 00:21:58.792 --> 00:22:11.403 One day, two day, three days, and on the third day the spirit of God entered that place and he was raised to life again and he lives forever and ever. 00:22:11.403 --> 00:22:21.094 He went, he, he, he, yeah, come on, we can take a praise break, it's all right. 00:22:21.094 --> 00:22:40.759 He walked on this earth for 40 days, he was seen by over 500 people, he ascended into heaven and he was given the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father. 00:22:40.759 --> 00:23:20.487 This is the Jesus that we worship, that we praise, and the reason that we are here today and please don't forget this isn't the end of the story, because there will be a day not far from this day, when the eastern sky will split and this Savior and Lord, who was raised to life, will return to this planet, and when he returns, we will be with him, we will be made like him and we will live with him forever and ever and ever, ever and ever and ever. 00:23:20.487 --> 00:23:23.835 We can look forward to a new relationship. 00:23:23.835 --> 00:23:33.663 We also can look forward to a new experience, a new experience that goes on to say he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. 00:23:33.663 --> 00:23:42.458 Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. 00:23:44.059 --> 00:23:50.314 If you ever were concerned about the father's heart, what does he consider a state of perfection? 00:23:50.314 --> 00:24:01.787 A life free from grief and sorrow and suffering and pain. 00:24:01.787 --> 00:24:06.593 Can you fathom with me? 00:24:06.593 --> 00:24:11.963 Can you imagine what that would be like just for one moment in time? 00:24:11.963 --> 00:24:17.923 You see, the effects of sin in this world affect our souls just as much as anything. 00:24:17.923 --> 00:24:26.324 The reality of anxiety and fear and pain and sorrow and depression and oppression, and on and on. 00:24:26.324 --> 00:24:36.663 These are things that we daily encounter, that we daily battle, that we daily endure on this planet, in this life, as a result of sin. 00:24:36.663 --> 00:24:57.343 But I am here to tell you, according to the word of God, that there will be a day when all of those things will be For some reason. 00:24:57.403 --> 00:25:12.624 I was thinking this week about my brother who drowned when he was two and a half years old, and so I did some research with the help of my wife, and I discovered that April 18th was the day that he passed from this life. 00:25:12.624 --> 00:25:25.779 I had never known that date before, and so then it made sense to me why I was kind of feeling this way and experiencing this, and as I've thought about it this week, you know what has come to my mind. 00:25:25.779 --> 00:25:39.544 He's doing really well, like he's doing really well, and I feel like I just want to know him. 00:25:39.544 --> 00:25:45.578 I just feel like I've been cheated in some ways from knowing him, but I'm so thankful. 00:25:45.578 --> 00:25:58.642 The Bible tells us that, for those who are in Christ, that we're going to be reunited with those who have gone before us who are followers of Jesus Christ, and we're going to be able, with those who have gone before us who are followers of Jesus Christ, and we're going to be able to spend eternity together with them. 00:25:58.642 --> 00:26:07.242 I look forward to knowing my brother Brian at this time that Revelation teaches us about. 00:26:07.242 --> 00:26:19.683 We who follow after Christ can look forward to a new experience when Christ returns. 00:26:19.683 --> 00:26:21.674 So what do we do. 00:26:22.529 --> 00:26:31.959 Peter preached his sermon on the day of Pentecost, and towards the end of that sermon and I'm just putting this on you I believe you're asking what then must we do? 00:26:31.959 --> 00:26:35.458 And so I'm going to try to answer that question. 00:26:35.458 --> 00:26:37.994 And the scripture here tells us what to do. 00:26:37.994 --> 00:26:42.913 There's a proper response that we give to the message of the gospel. 00:26:42.913 --> 00:26:49.712 It goes on to say and he who was seated on the throne said behold, I am making all things new. 00:26:49.712 --> 00:26:50.694 Who's speaking here? 00:26:50.694 --> 00:26:52.701 Jesus is speaking. 00:26:52.701 --> 00:26:57.373 Also, he said write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. 00:26:57.373 --> 00:27:00.239 And he said to me it is done. 00:27:00.239 --> 00:27:01.560 Does that sound familiar to you? 00:27:01.560 --> 00:27:05.690 It is finished, it is done. 00:27:05.690 --> 00:27:10.623 I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. 00:27:10.623 --> 00:27:15.478 To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life, without payment. 00:27:15.478 --> 00:27:22.803 The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. 00:27:22.803 --> 00:27:29.954 Jesus, speaking directly to John, tells him to make this clear, to painstakingly get it right. 00:27:29.954 --> 00:27:32.699 Don't skip a beat or miss a word. 00:27:32.699 --> 00:27:37.566 What you have seen and heard, John, are absolutely the truth. 00:27:37.566 --> 00:27:41.859 I put my own name and reputation on it. 00:27:41.859 --> 00:27:43.496 That's what Jesus is saying. 00:27:44.810 --> 00:27:52.984 In the gospel book written by John, there are seven statements that he makes that are from God and from Jesus and about Jesus. 00:27:52.984 --> 00:28:02.301 These are, I am statements, and I'm not going to rehearse all of them, but in one occasion he said I am the way, the truth and the life. 00:28:02.301 --> 00:28:04.471 No one comes to the Father how? 00:28:04.471 --> 00:28:06.777 Except by me. 00:28:06.777 --> 00:28:17.702 And I believe that the bookend to that statement is found here in Revelation 21, when Jesus says I am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. 00:28:17.702 --> 00:28:21.776 You see, he is the word that was spoken in creation. 00:28:21.776 --> 00:28:40.114 Jesus is the word that brought light and life to all mankind and he is the word that is saying that all things will be made new, will be made new. 00:28:40.114 --> 00:28:42.143 Notice that these promises are made to the thirsty. 00:28:42.143 --> 00:28:43.608 Are you thirsty? 00:28:43.608 --> 00:28:51.111 Are you hungry? 00:28:51.131 --> 00:28:53.196 Jesus loved using the theme of hunger and thirst when talking about us recognizing our need for God. 00:28:53.196 --> 00:29:04.221 In Matthew 5, verse 6, it says Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied or filled. 00:29:04.221 --> 00:29:10.717 So how do we respond? 00:29:10.717 --> 00:29:12.853 First of all, we repent. 00:29:12.853 --> 00:29:14.496 We repent. 00:29:14.496 --> 00:29:35.015 Repentance is acknowledging that I am a sinner, that I cannot save myself and that I need a savior that is greater than I am, recognizing my need for change, my need for transformation, my need to be made new. 00:29:35.015 --> 00:29:37.281 You will not be saved outside of this step. 00:29:39.050 --> 00:29:42.998 Jesus himself said that we must repent and believe. 00:29:42.998 --> 00:29:45.723 The second step is to believe. 00:29:45.723 --> 00:29:53.736 That is, to put your faith, hope and trust in Jesus's sacrifice and the fact that he paid the price for all of our sins. 00:29:53.736 --> 00:29:57.278 We must believe. 00:29:57.278 --> 00:30:14.769 We must believe Not just that he was a baby in a manger, not just that he came and lived a perfect life, not just that he died on a cross and raised from the dead, but that he did those things for me. 00:30:14.769 --> 00:30:22.575 I believe in you, jesus, for me, not not my grandparents faith, not my church's faith. 00:30:22.595 --> 00:30:35.642 You know, we went out witnessing yesterday, a group of us, and we went to Target and Kroger and had some really interesting conversations and one of the the most interesting things that I learned about people is that they equate their faith with the church they attend. 00:30:35.642 --> 00:30:41.681 Very few of them said I'm a follower of Jesus Christ or I'm a believer in Jesus Christ. 00:30:41.681 --> 00:30:44.516 As soon as we asked, would you mind if we pray for you? 00:30:44.516 --> 00:30:46.740 They said I go to blank blank church. 00:30:46.740 --> 00:30:49.295 I go to whatever church you know I go to. 00:30:50.557 --> 00:30:52.082 Going to church doesn't make you a Christian. 00:30:52.082 --> 00:30:55.230 Doesn't make you a Christian. 00:30:55.230 --> 00:30:55.402 There's more to it than that. 00:30:55.402 --> 00:30:55.798 It's important to go to church doesn't make you a Christian. 00:30:55.798 --> 00:30:55.944 Doesn't make you a Christian. 00:30:55.944 --> 00:30:57.006 There's more to it than that. 00:30:57.006 --> 00:30:59.457 It's important to go to church. 00:30:59.457 --> 00:31:02.680 Please don't take that you don't need to be in church. 00:31:02.680 --> 00:31:04.317 But it's more than that. 00:31:04.317 --> 00:31:08.778 There's a recognition, there's a faith that must be applied. 00:31:08.778 --> 00:31:14.000 There's a choice that we make to put our faith in someone outside of ourselves. 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:21.415 Put your faith in Jesus today and finally be saved. 00:31:21.415 --> 00:31:26.439 Be saved, receive the free gift of salvation. 00:31:26.549 --> 00:31:34.900 Can you imagine at Christmas time if there was a present under the tree that had your name on it and Christmas came and went and you never opened up the present? 00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:37.416 Was that present made available to you? 00:31:37.416 --> 00:31:39.176 Was it paid for for you? 00:31:39.176 --> 00:31:41.136 Was it deposited for you? 00:31:41.136 --> 00:31:43.297 Was it ready for you? 00:31:43.297 --> 00:31:46.016 What was the problem? 00:31:46.016 --> 00:31:52.576 You didn't receive it, you didn't open it up, you didn't accept it. 00:31:53.970 --> 00:32:03.143 And so many times people have a head, knowledge about God and they have an understanding about the things about Jesus, but their hearts have not been transformed. 00:32:03.143 --> 00:32:11.124 And the way for your heart to be transformed is to receive, by faith, the free gift of salvation. 00:32:11.124 --> 00:32:21.577 How many of you know that all of these steps follow the Holy Spirit of God moving on the inside of us to make what was dead alive again. 00:32:21.577 --> 00:32:29.321 We cannot properly respond to God in any of these ways unless the Spirit of God makes us able to do that. 00:32:29.321 --> 00:32:32.832 But he's here this morning doing that very thing. 00:32:32.832 --> 00:32:43.022 He's walking amongst these aisles and he's tapping on hearts and he's speaking to you and he's saying come home, come home. 00:32:43.022 --> 00:32:51.560 I have good news for you as we finish this up. 00:32:51.560 --> 00:32:59.143 We do not have to wait for a new heaven and a new earth to experience these new realities. 00:33:00.371 --> 00:33:08.865 How many of you know that God has provided a way, through Jesus, for us to begin to experience newness of life right here on this planet? 00:33:08.865 --> 00:33:13.701 We have been made new already. 00:33:13.701 --> 00:33:22.023 If we are followers of Jesus Christ, no longer are we under the penalty of sin and no longer are we under the power of sin. 00:33:22.023 --> 00:33:29.703 We have the ability, by God's grace, to say no to sin and to say yes to Jesus. 00:33:29.703 --> 00:33:32.757 What a gift that is given. 00:33:32.757 --> 00:33:38.030 What a gift that is given. 00:33:38.030 --> 00:33:42.357 What a way that God has intersected himself in this world that is still so filled with sin and sorrow and shame. 00:33:42.397 --> 00:33:52.157 2nd Corinthians, 5, 17 says therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, not a better form, not a prettier picture. 00:33:52.157 --> 00:33:57.685 Not a better form, not a prettier picture, not a whatever description you want to a new creation. 00:33:57.685 --> 00:34:00.974 You've been made brand new. 00:34:00.974 --> 00:34:02.837 Old things have passed away. 00:34:02.837 --> 00:34:06.384 Behold, the new has come. 00:34:06.384 --> 00:34:13.914 You see, when someone trusts in God for salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells them and they become a new creation. 00:34:14.235 --> 00:34:16.400 The believer is no longer bound by sin. 00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:22.402 We are able to please God and live in his ways, and Galatians 2.20 says it really well. 00:34:22.402 --> 00:34:29.041 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 00:34:29.041 --> 00:34:31.170 The life I now live in the body. 00:34:31.170 --> 00:34:35.762 I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 00:34:35.762 --> 00:34:42.043 No longer do we live for ourselves, but we live for the one who is life. 00:34:43.969 --> 00:34:45.617 Transformation has occurred. 00:34:45.617 --> 00:34:53.262 When Jesus said, behold, I make all things new, he's already started the process in us. 00:34:53.262 --> 00:35:02.393 Why in the world wouldn't we live like that? 00:35:02.393 --> 00:35:03.775 Why would we choose a lesser version of life? 00:35:03.775 --> 00:35:07.831 Why would we choose to focus on that which isn't instead of that which is? 00:35:07.831 --> 00:35:21.222 Why in the world would we allow everything that's around us in this world to attempt to squelch and to quiet out and to disturb the truth that should be found on the inside of us. 00:35:21.222 --> 00:35:23.295 Christ, in us. 00:35:23.295 --> 00:35:39.521 The hope of glory, the transformational power of the spirit of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in us as believers, and he's able to quicken our mortal bodies so that we can be true and honest and faithful to him. 00:35:39.521 --> 00:35:46.112 This is good news, my friends. 00:35:46.112 --> 00:35:47.998 It's not just Jesus that raised from the dead. 00:35:47.998 --> 00:35:56.458 We got maybe 250 or more in this room that have been raised to life again by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:35:56.458 --> 00:36:13.193 I hope the truth of all things new makes us live with eager expectation, seeking to know him more, becoming more like him and making him known to others. 00:36:13.193 --> 00:36:24.521 I hope that our lives are affected and influenced in greater ways in the year that comes by the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:36:24.521 --> 00:36:35.605 Our hopeful future is what changes how we live as we await Jesus coming to truly make all things new. 00:36:37.851 --> 00:36:43.079 Now, that would be a typical way to end the sermon, but the passage doesn't end there. 00:36:43.079 --> 00:37:07.503 There's a final warning that says but as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral sorcerers, idolaters and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. 00:37:07.503 --> 00:37:13.461 Now, before you believe a lie of Satan. 00:37:13.461 --> 00:37:20.835 This isn't talking about a person as committed one of these sins, because we all have committed one of these sins or more of these sins. 00:37:20.835 --> 00:37:35.880 This is talking about a person whose identity has not been changed, a person who has not repented of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ and received the free gift of salvation. 00:37:35.880 --> 00:37:46.355 This is talking about a person or people who refuse to put their faith and hope and trust in a living, risen Savior. 00:37:47.177 --> 00:38:02.233 My friends, hell is a real place and there will be, unfortunately, and there will be unfortunately, many people who will live out eternity. 00:38:02.233 --> 00:38:15.976 And you can think of hell in many different ways, and there's a lot of descriptives that we find in the scripture, but to me, the most haunting if I might use that word of all is the fact that the presence of God will not be found there. 00:38:15.976 --> 00:38:22.612 This is not religion. 00:38:22.612 --> 00:38:24.576 This is not. 00:38:24.576 --> 00:38:26.579 My parents told me so. 00:38:26.579 --> 00:38:28.202 This is not. 00:38:28.202 --> 00:38:30.144 It's socially acceptable. 00:38:30.144 --> 00:38:38.556 This is not a pretend thing or something that we just add to our lives like we add a new pair of clothes. 00:38:38.556 --> 00:39:00.641 Eternity is forever and the choice that we have to make this day is, will we choose to follow Jesus and to put our trust in him, or will we continue to follow ourselves in our own? 00:39:00.641 --> 00:39:08.480 Put our trust in our own ability to be good enough somehow to avoid going to hell? 00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:24.501 This is a somber thought and something that God didn't want us to forget, even in this passage, with such glory and joy and amazing realities of a new heaven and a new earth. 00:39:33.490 --> 00:40:02.340 Father, we pray today for those in this room and those that are watching online, who find themselves in the latter position, lord, that are identified by sin, sorrow and shame and they, being born dead in sin and trespasses, have not yet repented of their sins and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and been saved. 00:40:02.340 --> 00:40:05.460 And, father, we pray that today would be the day. 00:40:05.460 --> 00:40:15.601 We ask that, by your power and your might and by your spirit, that you would awaken those who find themselves asleep. 00:40:15.601 --> 00:40:31.822 Today, we pray that the truth of the word of God would cause there to be light and life in the deepest, darkest crevices of our hearts and our souls. 00:40:31.822 --> 00:40:38.731 Father, we pray in Jesus' name that those that you're working in their hearts. 00:40:38.731 --> 00:40:47.737 Although praying a prayer not being the means of salvation, there is a prayer to be prayed based on the work that you're doing in the hearts of mankind. 00:40:47.737 --> 00:40:53.876 So we pray that those that are experiencing this would cry out to you even now. 00:40:55.260 --> 00:41:01.793 God in heaven, I am a sinner, I am deserving of your judgment. 00:41:01.793 --> 00:41:08.565 I deserve to be sent to hell, but I believe in Jesus Christ. 00:41:08.565 --> 00:41:15.849 I believe that he came to this earth and lived a perfect life and took my sin to the cross at Calvary. 00:41:15.849 --> 00:41:22.603 I believe that he died and he took the punishment for my sin upon himself. 00:41:22.603 --> 00:41:37.269 I believe that he was buried and that he rose again from the dead, and I choose this day to believe in him for me, for my life, for my salvation. 00:41:37.269 --> 00:41:41.034 I receive the free gift of salvation by faith. 00:41:41.034 --> 00:41:46.222 Save me, lord, save me now. 00:41:46.222 --> 00:41:48.826 Change me. 00:41:56.242 --> 00:42:05.914 For those of you who have prayed that prayer, thank you, thank you. 00:42:05.914 --> 00:42:13.454 Thank you for being obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:42:13.454 --> 00:42:18.371 Thank you for choosing to follow after him. 00:42:18.371 --> 00:42:25.405 Thank you for acknowledging the work of God inside of you to bring you to a point to where you could even acknowledge your need. 00:42:25.405 --> 00:42:27.150 Thank you. 00:42:27.150 --> 00:42:46.110 And now I just encourage you to get plugged in, be a part of a local church, get yourself alongside other people who have been walking with Jesus for some time and learn of them, learn from them. 00:42:46.110 --> 00:42:55.465 Pick up the Bible and read, and maybe read the Gospel of John, and begin to see who Jesus is and what Jesus did for you. 00:43:03.280 --> 00:43:19.184 See, the truest sign of transformation is not a prayer prayed, but a life changed, and so I'm going to pray also for the rest of us that might be in this room who find ourselves in differing states of disarray. 00:43:19.184 --> 00:43:29.739 I believe that there are some prodigals that are listening. 00:43:29.739 --> 00:43:33.170 You've tasted and you've seen the goodness of God and you know that what I'm saying is true this morning. 00:43:33.170 --> 00:43:43.739 But you've been running, you've been running, you've been running, but you've been running, you've been running. 00:43:43.739 --> 00:43:59.525 I ask you to stop and turn around and see the Father standing there with his arms spread wide open, ready to accept you back, to welcome you back, to embrace you. 00:44:02.701 --> 00:44:04.929 Father, we pray for that now, in the name of Jesus. 00:44:04.929 --> 00:44:21.108 Lord, that those who find themselves in a place of a backslidden state, lord, we pray that there would be the ability for change to come even now. 00:44:21.108 --> 00:44:29.132 Restore the joy of your salvation in each one. 00:44:29.132 --> 00:44:34.384 And, father, for all of us. 00:44:34.384 --> 00:45:01.681 Would you help us, days and weeks ahead, to not be ashamed of the light that lives within us, to not just be so longing for a time that will come that we forget for the change that's already happened, that we forget to honor you and glorify you and praise you and be thankful to you for who you are and what you've done that we. 00:45:02.362 --> 00:45:06.552 Lord, would you help us to be bold in our faith and our witness? 00:45:06.552 --> 00:45:10.630 Would you help us to not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ? 00:45:10.630 --> 00:45:22.583 Would you encourage us, lord, every day to be involved in the spiritual disciplines that we would make grace our habit and not something that we just run to when we're in desperate need. 00:45:22.583 --> 00:45:43.036 Father, I pray that the power of the Spirit of God, the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, would live in us, change us and would flow out from us to a world in desperate need. 00:45:43.036 --> 00:45:49.545 Would you just stand with me? 00:45:49.545 --> 00:46:02.632 There's gonna be a prayer team that's gonna be here in just a minute and if you have a personal request, we'd ask that you come. 00:46:02.632 --> 00:46:09.190 These are trusted people and all they want to do is pray with you and ask the Lord to meet you at the point of your need. 00:46:09.190 --> 00:46:27.235 Also, if you did ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord today, we want to know about that, not so that we can broadcast it or embarrass you, but so that we can pray with you, walk with you on this exciting new journey. 00:46:27.235 --> 00:46:30.182 This is exciting. 00:46:30.222 --> 00:46:40.873 The Bible says that heaven rejoices when one person commits their life to Jesus Christ, and we want to rejoice with you. 00:46:40.873 --> 00:46:42.967 And the next step is baptism. 00:46:42.967 --> 00:46:46.768 We're having baptism coming up in May and we'll be talking about that in the weeks to come. 00:46:46.768 --> 00:46:53.047 I'm just going to pray a blessing over you and send you out this Easter to shine the light of Jesus. 00:46:53.047 --> 00:46:55.813 Amen. 00:46:55.813 --> 00:46:58.206 May the Lord bless you and keep you. 00:46:58.206 --> 00:47:01.929 May he cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. 00:47:01.929 --> 00:47:10.827 May he lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace In Jesus' holy, matchless, mighty name. 00:47:10.827 --> 00:47:13.514 Amen, amen. 00:47:13.514 --> 00:47:15.806 Happy Resurrection Day. 00:47:15.806 --> 00:47:16.690 God bless you guys.