Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] I always find it interesting that we look forward to the next big moment in our life with great anticipation. And in a certain way, we envision the next vacation, the next get together, the next birthday party, the next holiday, the next moment in our life, the big moment that we're looking forward to.
[00:00:26] Many of us right now are looking forward to summer vacation.
[00:00:30] And we envision that in the most flawless, perfect way.
[00:00:37] Everyone is happy.
[00:00:39] The kids are behaving, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, there's great conversation, everyone's getting along. It is exactly the way that we want it to be. And we know that's impossible. And we know that's not the way it's going to be. Most often it's the exact opposite of all of those things.
[00:01:07] But we still anticipate those things with flawless perfection.
[00:01:13] And I find it interesting because when we think about heaven, we don't anticipate heaven that way.
[00:01:22] In many ways, we don't know what to anticipate or look forward to when it comes to heaven. And if every one of us were honest today, when we think about heaven, if I could go to heaven right now, we would immediately begin to think about all the things here that we would miss out on.
[00:01:42] And that sort of overwhelms our thoughts. We know.
[00:01:47] And even by the power of the spirit and the word of God, we know to long for heaven.
[00:01:52] And by faith we say heaven's going to be better.
[00:01:56] But the tendency in our heart is to worry that something won't be there, that something will not be the way that I want it, that it's going to be lacking the things that I really love to do here, here.
[00:02:13] And I wonder why that is. It's because we're fighting with sin and our sinful outlook on the world and eternity.
[00:02:22] But I also think it's because heaven has always been talked about in such an abstract way.
[00:02:30] We think about heaven in light of country music theology, where there are streets of gold and holes in the floor of heaven.
[00:02:40] I don't know how that's going to work out.
[00:02:43] Or we're just doing the things that we love to do here. There we'll be on the back nine with Jesus or that racetrack in the sky.
[00:02:57] Or we think about heaven with just clouds floating around and we're playing on harps sort of in some zombie like trance, mumbling holy, holy, holy forever, this abstract way of heaven.
[00:03:17] But the Bible does not give us an abstract view of heaven.
[00:03:23] It's not detached from the things that we really like to do. Here, the good things that we love, those things are a part of this world to teach us what heaven's going to be like.
[00:03:37] That's why God has designed the world in this way and he's wired our hearts up to love certain things here, to teach us about heaven.
[00:03:47] It's not this abstract thing detached from the experience that we have here.
[00:03:54] In many ways, it's all that we should anticipate and infinitely more.
[00:04:02] Last week, as we unpacked the millennial reign of Christ, we talked about the fact that when a believer dies, they are present with the Lord.
[00:04:13] We don't really know what that's like, but we know that when we die, our spirit goes to be with the Lord. And yet there's a day coming when Jesus will come to earth. And those who are dead, separated from their spirit, their body is in the ground, they will be raised up, joined with their spirit to meet Christ.
[00:04:36] Along with those who are on earth, they will be resurrected. And we with Jesus will usher in this reign of Christ on the earth that will end with the judgment of unbelievers.
[00:04:51] And what we see in our passage today is after all of that Jesus, God brings forth to earth a new age.
[00:05:00] You see, we often talk about heaven. That's actually a very generic term about the afterlife.
[00:05:08] What we will experience as believers is a new age on a new earth. We will experience a new creation, which is what we see in verse one. When we think about heaven, first of all, we should think about a new world. Verse 1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. This is after the judgment of unbelievers who have been raised from the dead to stand before Christ who have been defeated with the Antichrist, with Satan, who is thrown into the lake of fire.
[00:05:43] Notice I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Why?
[00:05:48] For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more.
[00:05:54] Now, all of this language here takes us back to the first verse in the Bible, when God created the heavens and the earth.
[00:06:03] And what does, what is described there, There is this. There's this creation of all things. And at that time, the Spirit is hovering over the deep.
[00:06:13] And so we have heaven, we have earth, and we have sea or the deep in the very beginning. But here we see these things have passed away, and we see what is before us. Now in this new age is a new heaven and a new earth, a new creation.
[00:06:32] And so right off the bat, we have to ask a question.
[00:06:35] What's going on with the old heaven and the old earth?
[00:06:40] Is this a totally new place, totally different, or is it just remodeled or renewed or redeemed?
[00:06:51] Well, we see what's going on here. First of all, that there is judgment that has taken place.
[00:06:58] Notice that phrase passed away.
[00:07:01] When we go back to chapter 20, verse 11, we see when Jesus comes to judge, the heavens and the earth flee from him.
[00:07:11] And the word describes someone who is fighting a battle and they realize they've been defeated and they flee away.
[00:07:22] And it's just imagery to describe that the earth has been judged, that the heavens and the earth as we know it in some sense have been judged. And what we mean by that is, is the sin present in the world or the. The effects of sin have been judged in the world? Peter talks about a purging with fire, and so the world as we know it will be purged with judgment. We know that God has promised he will never judge the world again with water, but it will be with fire. And it is a purging judgment. And so I believe that's what he's talking about here. But when he says the first heaven, first earth have passed away, it's been judged to the extent that what we see before us is a new heaven and a new earth. And then we see this idea that there is no more sea. So what's he talking about? Because I really love the beach and I really love the ocean. And when I think about heaven, there are lots of beaches and there is a glorious ocean, and I'm sitting on it a lot.
[00:08:34] So what's he talking about here? Well, this idea of sea in the Bible represents chaos, and it's the source of evil. We've seen that the beast comes out of the sea. And so what he's talking about is, first of all, the judgment, a purging of sin, and then a doing away of all evil. And so there will not be the effects of sin and death, and all evil will be judged.
[00:09:00] And this will be a new heavens and a new earth. And I think all of the language here, he's speaking of redemption.
[00:09:07] He's not speaking of a totally different place.
[00:09:11] He's speaking of the place that we know right now being made new, which is what we see in verse eight. Behold, I'm making all things new. He is making a new people, and he is making a new earth.
[00:09:25] When we talk about redemption or conversion, we even talk about ourselves in this way.
[00:09:32] If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, and the old has passed away.
[00:09:39] It's not that we're a totally different human being. We are the same person, but we have been made new in Christ. And the same thing will happen to the earth. And God didn't make a totally new Adam and Eve. He chose to redeem what was there. And so the earth as we know it, as we look around, this earth will be redeemed, will be purified. There will be order established, and it will be made new. That's what this is, what this means for us. On a daily basis, you have a grid for which to think about heaven at all times, all around you. It's the world in which you live.
[00:10:24] This world would be a completely new world.
[00:10:28] Resurrect it and you will see it through redeemed eyes.
[00:10:34] Heaven is not just leaving this earth for some abstract state of mind, the best feelings you can imagine, and just sort of existing in a state of mind forever. No, heaven literally comes to earth and makes it new. And you will live in a new world. And you have a grid for this on a daily basis to look around and see the world and think, Imagine what heaven will be like as you see natural disaster.
[00:11:09] Order will be established in the new creation, so there will be no natural disaster as your body decays and deteriorates in the new age.
[00:11:22] That will not happen as you get frustrated. Some of us are at the stage in life where we get hurt sleeping.
[00:11:30] That won't happen in heaven.
[00:11:33] There will be no trace of the curse of death and decay, nothing deteriorating, no disorder.
[00:11:42] And you are to look around in your best moments and say, imagine what heaven will be like as you enjoy the beauty and the sounds of a baseball game in spring when the weather is perfect.
[00:12:01] You are to say, this is glorious.
[00:12:04] Not, I'm going to have to leave all this behind.
[00:12:08] No, imagine what heaven will be like.
[00:12:10] Imagine what heaven will be like when I see these things through redeemed eyes and resurrected, glorified body. And there will be no disorder before me. You are to think about that as you smell things, as you taste things, as you laugh at the end of a long week where you've worked really hard and there's fulfillment in that rest. You're to say, yes, this is glorious. I wonder what heaven will be like. It will be better than even this. The good that I'm experiencing right now at this party or this worship service or on this run, or is in this conversation where I'm connecting with a friend or I've accomplished something. You are to say in those moments, not, I got to leave this behind one day. No, this goodness is going to be glorious. One Day. And you're to have eyes to see that as you live. And that's the way we anticipate heaven.
[00:13:08] That's the way we live as citizens of heaven, which is what we see next. Beginning in verse two, we will live in a new world, but it will be ruled by Jesus. Notice.
[00:13:20] And I saw the holy city. This just means a city set apart to God.
[00:13:25] In context, the word city is referred to 15 times.
[00:13:30] And there's this idea of these two cities. We've talked about Babylon and now the new Jerusalem, who are at war with each other.
[00:13:39] But John sees in this new creation. He sees a new creation, and now he sees a city coming down from heaven to this new creation. Now, I want you to notice that we often think about heaven. I'm going up to somewhere.
[00:13:56] No, here this city is coming down to a new earth and it's coming from God. What does that mean? It is a gift from God. This city that is coming to earth is a gift from God. Meaning it's not built by man.
[00:14:12] It's not built by our technology or our wisdom or intellect.
[00:14:21] God has created this city that is coming to earth as a gift.
[00:14:29] In context, we've talked a lot about Babylon, and it's traced all the way back to Babel.
[00:14:37] And the idea in the Bible is we see, beginning with Cain, we see cities are created in rebellion to God.
[00:14:46] They are created to show man's glory. In the height of that was the Tower of Babel, which is a city where men said, we are going to create this place that we're going to reach up to heaven because we're so great.
[00:15:01] And throughout the Bible, cities are created for the glory of men.
[00:15:05] But here we see this holy city, which is a city set apart to God. And it's coming down to earth to replace all of those cities. And it will be a city that exalts not the Antichrist, but Christ himself.
[00:15:25] Now, if you think about the readers of this letter, there are two real cities in their mind that they're always thinking about throughout the letter. Think about the old Jerusalem.
[00:15:37] Jerusalem was a place where it was the center of God's rule.
[00:15:44] And Jerusalem was to be a place where the presence of God was. You go to Jerusalem to worship in the presence of God.
[00:15:54] Jerusalem was the center of all of God's promises.
[00:15:59] But in 70 AD, Jerusalem was wiped out.
[00:16:04] And so the readers of this letter are thinking, he's going to give us a new Jerusalem one day.
[00:16:11] And then others would have thought about Rome as the city that would come to Their mind. And it was created with the man centered Babylon culture, idolatrous culture. And so at the end, after God has created this new earth, made it new, he's going to put a city that replaces all Antichrist cities in it.
[00:16:36] But notice how the city is described here, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And so this city is coming from heaven and it is like a gift to the groom, to the lamb.
[00:16:51] God himself is giving this city to his Son and it will be a new Jerusalem. And what's going on there? He's giving it to the lamb that was slain who's ruling heaven. And he's saying now on earth you're going to have your city that you rule over. And he's giving it to him as a gift. Just like Adam in the garden in the first creation is given the gift of Eve. Here Jesus is given the gift of the new Jerusalem.
[00:17:21] Which brings about the question, what exactly does this mean?
[00:17:25] He's talking about a city and there's buildings, that's streets.
[00:17:30] But also he's talking about abroad.
[00:17:33] And we have to understand that cities often represent not just the things, the buildings, the culture, but the people.
[00:17:43] In no other city was that true of than Jerusalem. Throughout the Bible often we see Jerusalem is referred to as not just as a place, but the people.
[00:17:54] In Isaiah 65, verse 18, where we see this prophetic vision of this new creation, God says he created Jerusalem to be a joy and her people to be gladness. And we're going to talk about this next week in verses nine and ten, when the angel says he's going to show him the bride, he shows him the holy city, Jerusalem coming down. And so what is this city?
[00:18:23] Well, it is the bride of Christ that God has created and he's giving to the Son. You see, heaven isn't just one big city.
[00:18:33] It is a new world that is occupied by a city. The city here, more than just buildings, are the people of God who will live on earth.
[00:18:45] When we read the prophets talking about the glory of God that will cover the earth as the waters do the sea, it's not just a generic glory, an abstract vision. No, what he's saying is there's coming a day when God's people will inhabit the whole earth under the rule of God. And so we have a new creation that is ruled by, by Jesus. And the city that he rules over covers the whole globe. Why? Because it's the people of God.
[00:19:20] That's when we talk about missions and we talk about every tribe, every tongue, every nation, every people what we say around the world is the church is a city on a hill, not just in one location, but the whole globe.
[00:19:38] And so we're going to talk more about that next week. But we have to understand that this city is the people of God who will occupy the new Earth. And we will do so not like the City of Babel out of selfish ambition, but we will live in a city as a city on the earth for the supremacy of Christ in all things.
[00:20:02] Think about the whole earth, cities, cultures that live for the glory of Jesus only.
[00:20:10] When you think about government, you think about incompetent government, you think about corrupt. Government will not exist in the new creation. All government will exist for the glory of Christ.
[00:20:26] All leaders will lead for the glory of Christ.
[00:20:29] And everything will be done for the glory of Christ. We will obey the laws, speeding laws for the glory of Christ.
[00:20:42] We will be civil under a culture in which he orders for his glory.
[00:20:53] And we will enjoy all of the blessings of this city with thanksgiving to Him.
[00:20:59] We will constantly in this world as the city, as the people of God, constantly. What the new Jerusalem will be is a reflecting thanksgiving to Jesus. As we enjoy music, as we enjoy food, as we enjoy fellowship and conversation, as we build things and create things, we will say, this is all for King Jesus. We are his city on earth and we will give him glory to God constantly.
[00:21:29] We often think about heaven. We think we're going to go back to first century technology and we're all going to ride around in, you know, with horses and wagons and we're going to go chariots. Maybe we're going to go, maybe it's a little souped up, you know, we got some gold on our rims or something.
[00:21:53] But we envision that we're not going to go back.
[00:21:58] Heaven will be full of even more technology than we've ever experienced here.
[00:22:04] And it won't be for the glory of man or use for our own power.
[00:22:08] It will be used to say, jesus, you are so great.
[00:22:12] You created us in the image of God to do all of these amazing things, and for so long we did them for ourself.
[00:22:21] But as the city of God on earth, we will then say no in our glorified resurrected bodies. Jesus, look what you've done. You haven't just redeemed us, you have given us the ability to do all of these new and amazing things as the city of God on Earth.
[00:22:40] The most important thing about Heaven, verse three, is that God's presence will be there. And so we have a new earth where we, as the city of God, will rule and reign and exist and live for the glory of Christ on earth.
[00:22:54] And then what makes heaven heaven is verse three.
[00:22:58] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God. This is the tabernacle or tent of God is with man. So it too has come down to earth.
[00:23:09] And he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. Now the picture here is actually a culmination of the marriage covenant ceremony. And God will be with his people in one tent. The whole earth, the city, will live there in his presence.
[00:23:30] And the presence of God is actually a storyline that runs through the whole Bible.
[00:23:35] Think about in the garden, we have the problem of sin, which eventually becomes the problem of God's presence.
[00:23:43] Man is cast away from the presence of God, but then God gives a place for his presence, which is the tabernacle. And then the temple where the people of God can come and enjoy the presence of God.
[00:23:57] But then we see the person of God's presence in Jesus, who literally the same terminology here, tabernacles with us on earth.
[00:24:06] And then those who believe in Jesus are given the promise of his presence in the Spirit. And the Spirit of God creates a people of God's presence in the church.
[00:24:17] And what heaven will be is the culmination of all of those things.
[00:24:21] It will be the place of God's presence forever. We will worship the person of God's presence, who is Jesus. All of the promises of God's presence will be fulfilled in the Spirit. And we will be the people of God's presence forever. And so the main issue about heaven is God's presence. This is what makes heaven heaven. You will be purged of your sin. You will be in right standing with God in Christ, covered in his righteousness, but you will be no longer separated from his presence in any way that's glorious.
[00:25:01] This is what makes heaven heaven, not all of the other stuff.
[00:25:06] But God's presence will be there.
[00:25:09] And because his presence will be there, you will be able to delight in the things of heaven in a way that you've never experienced here.
[00:25:17] God's presence will shine in that way, but it is his presence that makes heaven heaven. And what that means for us. Verse 4 is comfortable. Notice he will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
[00:25:30] God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Everything that has ever caused you pain will be wiped away.
[00:25:42] Think about that in your own life.
[00:25:45] Those things that have caused tears, God will wipe them away.
[00:25:50] And notice. And death will be no more.
[00:25:53] The source of death, which is sin, will be gone. And so we won't experience death. The worst pain that we experience here comes from death.
[00:26:02] And so there will be no mourning, no crying, no pain anymore. For the former things have passed away. What he's saying here is the former things of death and pain are wiped away.
[00:26:14] They're gone. They don't exist anymore. Just like the tears in your eyes will be wiped away. The pain of death will be gone through forever. Isaiah says it will be remembered no more. It will not even come to mind.
[00:26:31] Those worst moments in your life where the pain has dropped you to your knees, where you've not been able to breathe, barely able to cry, sometimes scream.
[00:26:49] But those moments will be gone.
[00:26:52] No divorce, no funerals, no Alzheimer's, no dreaded phone calls.
[00:26:59] They come out of nowhere of the worst case scenario.
[00:27:04] You see, we spend this whole life trying to fight against those things, the pain.
[00:27:10] We fight with drugs, alcohol, therapy, the best we can do, even to pursue God, to fight those things.
[00:27:19] But when God makes this new creation and in this new city where Jesus is king and his presence pervades, all of those things will be wiped away.
[00:27:33] You know what that's like?
[00:27:35] You've been in those moments where you're going through something and there's that person in your life that you say, I, I need them to be here with me.
[00:27:44] I need that friend.
[00:27:46] I need my husband, I need my wife.
[00:27:50] I need that person to be here to help me make sense of this moment. Well, when God's presence comes to earth and you know it fully, that is the kind of comfort that you will feel for eternity.
[00:28:05] That person brings to you. But it will be infinitely more and infinitely better. His presence will comfort us. And his presence will mean faithfulness. Notice verse 5.
[00:28:16] And he who was seated on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. This is God.
[00:28:22] And he said, write this down. This is a way to emphasize the authority behind these words. So God says, this is my very word.
[00:28:31] For these words are trustworthy and true. They just. They're reliable. They're faithful. You can stake your whole life on what I'm about to say. And he said, it is done.
[00:28:42] All of my promises for my people, they're done in Christ. The resurrection, the promise, it's done. I'm the alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. And here John sees this moment of consummation of everything God has ever said he would do. And no promise will fall short or fail. That's what heaven will mean for you.
[00:29:06] No broken contracts, no leaving, no forsaking God with you forever. And you will feel that you will experience that notice. Next, what does heaven mean? What does the presence of God mean? It means comfort, faithfulness, but also to be fully satisfied. Notice to the thirsty, I will give the spring of water of life without payment.
[00:29:34] Now, this idea of water of life, or living water as Jesus called it, it's an important concept, especially for John and in the Gospel of John.
[00:29:46] In John, chapter four, Jesus promises when we drink from him, that there is this well, spring of water that comes up from within us, that lasts forever, this satisfaction that comes from him, that cannot come from anyone else.
[00:30:06] In John, chapter 7, verse 38, he says, Whoever believes in me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
[00:30:14] Now, what does all of that mean?
[00:30:17] Well, he's referring to what fellowship with him is like.
[00:30:21] It is like satisfaction for someone who is thirsty, dying of thirst, and has drank from the water of this world, and it has left them impotent.
[00:30:32] And there is something void within them. When they believe in Jesus, they know God as their father.
[00:30:39] In John 17, they know what eternal life is. And what is that knowing God. And so knowing God becomes this living water that satisfies us forever.
[00:30:50] And that's what it will mean to live in the presence of God. We will be satisfied with fellowship with him through forever. And you've got to understand this. We think about the presence of God there, and we think about this force.
[00:31:04] We think about this abstract force that's just there. God's everywhere. It's not generic. It's fellowship.
[00:31:12] You will fellowship and commune with God himself forever. That's at the heart of heaven for you is that you will know eternal life. And that is to know God forever and fellowship with him.
[00:31:27] You see, the call of the Bible is to find satisfaction in fellowship with God above anything else. It's the only thing that will fulfill the desires of your heart.
[00:31:36] Israel was rebuked by Jeremiah because of their idolatry, and he described their idolatry this way. He says, what you're doing is you're going out and digging holes in the ground and you're trying to drink from them, and the holes just keep running empty and dry, and they don't satisfy you.
[00:31:55] When God is offering you a fountain of life that never runs dry, it never runs dry. You're satisfied forever in God and knowing him and fellowshipping with him.
[00:32:11] The woman at the well, the Samaritan woman at the well, who knew broken relationships and was cast out by society. Jesus told her these very things, that what he offers her is living water that never runs dry. Nothing in this world will provide for you in this way. And the prophet Isaiah, in talking about this living water, he says, come and drink without money and without price. It is free.
[00:32:40] You can't. That's. That's even what makes it more satisfying is you're not going out and digging the well and coming up with the water and then dumping it in the spring and having to. No, it's just a spring. It's stupid to dump your water. There was the word again in. And there's a lot of kids here today in the spring. That makes no sense.
[00:33:03] What do you do? You just drink from the well.
[00:33:09] And it satisfies forever.
[00:33:12] This is from the very beginning when God said, man is not meant to be alone.
[00:33:17] And he's wired us up for relationship with him first and foremost and with one another.
[00:33:25] And we spend our whole life looking for that, looking for those who will fulfill this need of communion and intimacy.
[00:33:36] And it will not be until heaven we know what we're even looking for when we know God and we commune with him face to face and personally forever.
[00:33:47] Think about those relationships in your life that you would look back on and say, it just gets better and better and better at every stage.
[00:33:56] It gets better and better and better. Knowing this person at every stage in life, that's what makes it think about knowing God forever and infinitely.
[00:34:09] It just gets better and better and better.
[00:34:12] And that's what it means. To be satisfied in the presence of God is through communion and fellowship. And that's what makes heaven heaven. But finally, in heaven, we will be known as sons. And so there is a new earth where there is this city, the people of God who are ruled by Jesus. And the presence of God is there and meets every need we will ever have. And then forever we will be known as sons of God. Notice verse 7. The one who conquers. And we've talked about this throughout the book. These are those who believe in, in the Lamb who are covered by his blood and cling to his testimony. Notice. The one who conquers will have this, this new heavens, new earth, this city. They will. They will live as this city on the earth with God's presence. This will be their heritage. And what that means is this will be their inheritance, meaning it's rightfully yours.
[00:35:08] Notice I will be his God and he will be my son. This is all kingdom language. And why is that important?
[00:35:16] Well, in kingdom language, the Son, the Firstborn son is the heir to the kingdom. And so God's going to give his kingdom to his firstborn son. And if you are in the Son, that means you get the kingdom, and that's the gospel. When you believe in Jesus, his death becomes your death. When you believe in Jesus, his righteousness becomes your righteousness, his resurrection becomes your resurrection, and his sonship becomes your sonship, meaning his inheritance becomes yours. In him, it is all rightfully yours. And you will receive it in Christ, no matter ethnicity, no matter what your sinful past, no matter who you are here on earth, you will be known as a Son in the Son, and that's how you will enter heaven. But notice verse 8.
[00:36:07] But as for the cowardly, those who compromise their faith, the faithless, the unfaithful, the detestable, which are the unclean, the murderers, those who hate sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, all of this is associated with, with the emperor worship in Rome that took all these different forms of immorality and idolatry, and it caused those to deny Christ, to prove, notice the last phrase, liars, that they really weren't followers of Christ.
[00:36:40] Notice their portion or their inheritance will be the lake of fire, that burns with fires and sulfur, which is the second death.
[00:36:49] So those who die apart from Christ, they're in Hades here, they're resurrected to be judged, and eventually they will be cast into the lake of fire. So they do not inherit the kingdom of God.
[00:37:00] But the emphasis here is for the believer.
[00:37:04] Remember we talked about last week that the unbeliever is judged according to their deeds.
[00:37:11] So if you never believe in Christ, you never trust in Jesus, you're going to stand before Jesus and be judged by what you have done done.
[00:37:24] But for the believer, you are judged according to what Christ has done, which makes you a son, which makes you a ruler, a child of God who enters this kingdom and rules and reigns forever.
[00:37:38] But those who are immoral, the sinful, the unbelievers, those who never trust in Christ, they're judged by. Notice all of those deeds there.
[00:37:47] That's what they're judged by.
[00:37:50] And even as you read those, you might think, man, that could describe me at certain times in life, that could describe me. I've been cowardly, I've been faithless, I've been immoral. Jesus says that hate is like murder.
[00:38:07] I've been an idolater and I've lied.
[00:38:11] Well, if you never believe in Jesus, you will have to give an account for all of those things.
[00:38:17] But what he's communicating here is the good news.
[00:38:20] In Christ, you will be accepted as the Son is accepted.
[00:38:27] You're not going to get into heaven as a sinner. You're going to get into heaven as a son in the Son, and that's good news. Outside of Jesus, you're judged by your deeds as a sinner. In Jesus, you're judged by what he has done. You only get in as a son, and you will only live as a son.
[00:38:46] Think about that.
[00:38:48] You will live forever with rights to heaven as a son or daughter of the King, forever and ever. What that means is you will not be known by your past, you will not be known by your failures, you will not be known even by the sin, your deeds.
[00:39:08] You will be known as a Son in the Son. And so you will never have to wonder, am I accepted here?
[00:39:15] You have rights in the sun.
[00:39:17] You'll never have to long for power or influence. It's all yours in the sun. This is what heaven will be like.
[00:39:26] It's glorious.
[00:39:28] And hopefully you anticipate it.
[00:39:32] And hopefully you look forward to it.
[00:39:35] And maybe you're wondering, it just sounds abstract.
[00:39:40] Well, the next time you begin to really anticipate something in this life, you begin to look forward to it.
[00:39:47] A vacation, a trip, the Lord's day, a get together.
[00:39:54] Use that anticipation to leverage your heart to think about heaven.
[00:39:59] Because the truth is, all of that flawless perfection will not be present here.
[00:40:05] But you can say to yourself, it will be in heaven.
