An Old Time Gospel Message on Heaven R E V E L A T I O N 21:1-8

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1 MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 23, 2009 MESSAGE 12 OF 13 IN THE OLD TIME GOSPEL SERMON SERIES CHRISTIAN HOPE CHURCH OF CHRIST, PLYMOUTH, NORTH CAROLINA by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister An Old Time Gospel Message on Heaven Message 12 of 13 in The Old Time Gospel sermon series Scripture Text: Revelation 21:1-8 NKJV This morning, in our second to the last message in our OLD TIME GOSPEL SERMON SERIES I would like to preach and Old Time Gospel Message on HEAVEN. Please open your Bibles to the twenty first chapter of the Book of Revelation. And let s read VERSES 1-8. R E V E L A T I O N 21:1-8 P R A Y E R ******************** Introduction Everything in THE BIBLE points us toward HEAVEN. BY FAITH Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would later receive as an inheritance, NOT KNOWING WHERE HE WAS GOING. For he waited for THE CITY which has foundations, whose builder and maker is GOD. (Hebrews 11:8, 10) BY FAITH Moses forsook EGYPT, not fearing the wrath of the King: for he ENDURED as seeing Him who invisible. (Hebrews 11:27) For forty years, the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, on their way to the beautiful land of Promise, which flowed with milk and honey. Like ABRAHAM and MOSES and THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

2 before us..you and I are on a JOURNEY. Like them, we are just STRANGERS and PILGRIMS on earth.(hebrews 11:13) And like them, we declare plainly that we are seeking a HOMELAND. (Hebrews 11:14) ************************************** TRANSITION INTO SCRIPTURE TEXT ****************************** As we go back to our scripture text in REVELATION CHAPTER TWENTY ONE, We re going to consider FOUR THINGS WE CHRISTIANS HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER. First of all.. I. WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH vs. 1 Now I saw a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And there was no more sea. 1. What is JOHN referring to when he talks THE FIRST HEAVEN and THE FIRST EARTH? 2. THE FIRST HEAVEN and THE FIRST EARTH is referring to the HEAVEN and EARTH God created in GENESIS 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. So when JOHN speaks of THE FIRST HEAVEN he is talking about everything that is presently ABOVE us, THE SKY, THE SUN, THE MOON, THE STARS and all the HEAVENLY BODIES. And by FIRST EARTH, John is talking about

3 this EARTH that you and I presently inhabit. 3. JOHN tells us THE FIRST HEAVEN and THE FIRST EARTH have passed away. What happened to them? We find our answer just a few pages back in your BIBLES in II PETER CHAPTER 3. READ: II Peter 3: What PETER is telling us here and what JOHN is telling us in REVELATION 21:1 is that everything you and I now see is one day going to be completely destroyed by fire. *NO MORE New York City. NO MORE Chicago. NO MORE Los Angeles. *NO MORE White House. NO MORE U.S. Capitol Building. NO MORE Statue of Liberty. *NO MORE Rocky Mountains. NO MORE Great Smoky Mountains. NO MORE Swiss Alps or Himalayas. *NO MORE Atlantic Ocean. NO MORE Pacific Ocean. NO MORE Mediterranean Sea. *NO MORE full moons. NO MORE Milky Way. NO MORE Big and Little Dipper. 5. GOD has already set a DEMOLITION DAY for the HEAVENS above us and THE EARTH beneath us. The time is coming when they will have served their purpose and their usefulness and they will be forever vanquished. 6. While that may be somewhat depressing to think about, don t despair! JOHN has some wonderful news for all of us who have been SAVED by the PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE LAMB.

4 7. John says, Now I saw a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH. And there was NO MORE sea. (Revelation 21:1 NKJV) 8. GOD is going to CREATE a BRAND NEW HEAVENLY SPACE above us and a BRAND NEW EARTH, with one noticeable exception.. there will be NO SEAS. Right now 70% of this old earth is covered by oceans and seas. The constant churning and tossing of the seas is a reminder to us of the state of unrest in this world. The seas also separate us and divide humanity into continents. There will be NO such division in HEAVEN for we will all be one UNITED PEOPLE. ILLUSTRATION Here recently we ve been hearing a lot about the Cash For Klunkers program, where you can trade in your old gas guzzling vehicle for a newer vehicle. 9. When this life is over we will trade this OLD EARTH KLUNKER for a new, updated, deluxe model fashioned by the hands of GOD HIMSELF! *********************************************** Next, John tells us.. II. WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEW JERUSALEM vs.2,3 1. This NEW JERUSALEM, this HEAVENLY CITY will be like GOD S MAGNIFICENT

5 centerpiece upon the NEW EARTH. (A) Consider the DIMENSIONS of this city. Revelation 21:16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs, its length, breadth and height are equal. One mile is the equivalent of eight furlongs. This means the NEW JERUSALEM will be 1,500 miles long, 1,500 miles wide and 1,500 miles high. That is 2,250,000 square miles. That s 4,500 times bigger than Los Angeles and almost 4,800 times bigger than New York City. At 5.5 miles high, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain the world. The New Jerusalem will be 1,495 miles higher. That s like stacking 273 Mt. Everests on top of each other. (B) Consider the DESCRIPTION of the this city. Revelation 21:17-25 There is no way I can even begin to put into words the indescribable beauty of this heavenly city John is describing for us here. Perhaps the apostle Paul said it best in I CORINTHIANS 2:9 Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But far more wonderful than the physical

6 beauty of the New Jerusalem is the beauty of GOD S HOLY PRESENCE. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE RADIANT GLORY OF GOD S PRESENCE WITH US WILL BE SO BRILLIANT THERE WILL NO LONGER BE ANY NEED FOR A SUN AND A MOON. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY DARKNESS OR NIGHT. And to finally be in the very presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the One who gave His own life to make it all possible! Beautiful Zion built above, Beautiful City that I love. Beautiful gates of pearly white, Beautiful temple, God its light. Beautiful trees, forever there, Beautiful fruits they always bear. Beautiful rivers gliding by, Beautiful fountains never dry. Beautiful light, without the sun, Beautiful day revolving on, Beautiful worlds on worlds untold, Beautiful streets of shining gold. Beautiful Heaven where all is light, Beautiful angels clothed in white, Beautiful songs that never tire, Beautiful harps of the angelic choir. Beautiful crowns on every brow, Beautiful worship with every knee bowed, Beautiful robes the ransomed will wear, Beautiful is everyone who enters there. Beautiful..Beautiful.Beautiful. Oh how beautiful Heaven will be! -----anonymous Oh yes brothers and sisters, we have a lot to look forward to when this life is over! When this life is over we can look forward to A NEW HEAVEN and A NEW EARTH.

7 We can look forward to A NEW JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY OF GOD. ************************* III. WE CAN ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO A WHOLE NEW WAY OF LIFE 1. Let s face it, life here on earth, even at its very best, is not and never will be perfect. BUT AS CHRISTIANS, WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A LIFE THAT IS PERFECT IN EVERY WAY ONCE THIS LIFE IS OVER. (A) For one thing, there will be NO MORE DEATH. verse 4a And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be NO MORE DEATH. While we are in this life, DEATH is our enemy. In fact the Apostle Paul tells us in I Cor.15:25,26 death is the last enemy that will be destroyed. DEATH is our enemy because it is the result of SIN and SATAN S attack upon mankind. DEATH is our enemy because it separates our BODY from our SOUL. DEATH is our enemy because it separates us from our loved ones. DEATH is our enemy because it if we die without JESUS CHRIST it will separate us from GOD for all

8 eternity. The ODDS on DEATH are very HIGH: ONE out of every ONE PEOPLE BORN will DIE. DEATH is a fact of life here on earth. 1 in 5 will die of heart disease. 1 in 7 will die of cancer. 1 in 84 will die in a vehicle accident..1 in 218 will die from a fall..1 in 1,000 will die from drowning 1 in 29,000 will die from a lightning strike 1 in 56,000 will die from an insect sting. BUT LIFE IN HEAVEN is going to be so different than what we had here: -Never again will you and I pick up a newspaper and read an obituary. -Never again will we get a telephone call telling us a loved one or friend has died. -Never again will we attend a funeral or see a funeral procession. -Never again will we see a cemetery on a hillside. THERE WILL BE NO MORE DEATH IN HEAVEN! (B) There will be NO MORE DISCOMFORT vs. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes: there will be no more DEATH nor SORROW, nor CRYING. There will be NO more PAIN, for the former

9 things have passed away. Right now we live in a world where so many people are HURTING and SUFFERING in one way or another. And if you have ever watched a LOVED ONE SUFFER, I m sure this especially comforting to you. Over 10 million Americans suffer from some form of cancer..over 16 million Americans suffer from arthritis million Americans are currently being treated for clinical depression 1.2 BILLION people in the world are starving to death BUT LIFE WILL BE SO DIFFERENT IN HEAVEN. We ll never take another pill never fill another prescription..never have another Doctor s visit.never be admitted to a hospital.we ll never see another CAIN, CAST, CRUTCH or WHEELCHAIR. There will be NO MORE DEATH..There will be NO MORE DISCOMFORT and (C) There will be NO MORE DANGER. vs. 8 But the cowardly,unbelieving, abominable, murderers,sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Let s face it, we live in a very DANGEROUS WORLD where DANGEROUS PEOPLE live all around us. And there is no such thing as ABSOLUTE SECURITY in this world. You can lock every door. You can install an alarm system. You can build a wall or fence around your house. You can carry a can of mace, You can do all the right things to protect yourself and your family, and there s still no 100% guarantee nothing will happen to you. There s a one in twenty chance any one of us will be a victim of a crime in our lifetime. There s a

10 one in 18,000 chance we could be murdered. There s a 60% chance we will be hit by a drunk driver on the highway. This is a very dangerous world. LIFE WILL BE SO DIFFERENT IN HEAVEN. There will be SAFE and SECURE for all eternity. NOTHING that posed a danger to us in this WORLD will be there! NO MORE DEATH NO MORE DISCOMFORT NO MORE DANGER Yes, we can look forward to A WHOLE NEW WAY OF LIVING IN HEAVEN! But wait, there s one more thing we have to look forward to and that is.. IV. WE CAN ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW REUNION READ------I THESSALONIANS 4: Most all of us has been through the painful experience of losing a loved one. Perhaps it was a MATE, or a SON or DAUGHTER, or A PARENT or A SISTER OR BROTHER, or maybe a DEAR FRIEND. 2. From the moment that loved one left us our life here on earth has never been the same since, has it? 3. Every holiday, every birthday celebration,

11 every anniversary, every time you go some place special, you can t help but think, I WISH THEY WERE STILL HERE. 4. As wonderful as HEAVEN is going to be, it just wouldn t be the same if our LOVED ONES weren t there to enjoy it with us would it? 5. Paul is giving us the reassurance, that if our loved ones were in CHRIST when they left this world, they went right into the very presence of the Lord the moment they drew their last breath. And as CHRISTIANS, you and I will one day rejoin those loved ones in a glad reunion, either by way of our own death or the return of Jesus Christ, whichever comes first. CONCLUSION Oh brothers and sisters, we have so much to LOOK FORWARD to when LIFE ON EARTH has ended. When this life is over WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW HEAVEN and A NEW EARTH. WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEW JERUSALEM, WHERE WILL LIVE ETERNALLY IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A WHOLE NEW WAY OF LIVING WHERE THERE WILL BE NO MORE DEATH.DISCOMFORT OR DANGER. AND WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW REUNION WITH OUR LOVED ONES IN CHRIST WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US. These are the wonderful things every Christian has to look forward to when this life is over.

12 What about those of you who aren t Christians? What do you have to look forward to? (NO GREATER GIFT YOU CAN LEAVE BEHIND FOR YOUR LOVED ONES THAN THE HOPE AND ASSURANCE THEY WILL SEE YOU AGAIN IN ETERNITY!) Do you have that hope and assurance?