Sermon Notes of Pastor Glen Weber's Sermon on December 13, 2015 "The New Jerusalem the City of God" Advent #3 Joy [In today s sermon the third Sunday of Advent, Senior Pastor Glen Weber shows the anticipated joy that is associated with the coming of the New Jerusalem representing God coming to live with humanity.] Notes: Introduction: With all the turmoil in the Middle East, what will happen to Jerusalem? Should we be concerned? Should we pray for the peace of Jerusalem? Should we be in an all-out effort to keep ALL of Jerusalem in Jewish hands? As we focus on comings during this Advent season, we need to be reminded of God s ultimate goal for humanity. In the beginning: The Creator placed Adam and Eve in His Garden of Eden. In the language of Genesis, this Garden was the Temple in which God dwelt and placed humanity in. Once humanity was thrown out because of sin and restricted from entering back in, the Creator continued His plan to bring all humanity back into His spiritual temple of Eden Melchizedek: When Ron Kelly preached out of Hebrews 7, we saw how Melchizedek built Jerusalem! In Genesis 14:18-20, Melchizedek comes out to meet Abram and pronounce a blessing from God upon him. Melchizedek offers Abram communion bread and wine. Abram tithes to Melchizedek. Melchizedek is king of Salem Jerusalem! Heb. 7:1, This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2) and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means king of righteousness ; then also, king of Salem means king of peace. 3) Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. Apparently, God, Himself, planted the foundation of the city of Jerusalem. Yet, God hasn t defended that city!
2 He allowed it to fall to the Canaanites Jebusites occupied Jerusalem for 400 years until David freed the city. o Later it fell to Babylon o Then to Persia o Then to Greece (Antiochus Epiphanes) who did horrible things to the temple. o Then to the Roman Empire o Later to the Ottoman Empire (Muslims) All but one of these events happened after the Psalm was written about praying for the peace of Jerusalem!!! Because the city of Jerusalem we know was/is NOT the city that God s people focused on in their spiritual walk. Hebrews and the Holy City: The New Jerusalem, the Holy City is featured throughout the book of Hebrews. We already referred to the first few verses of Heb. 7 where the focus is on Melchizedek and his priesthood, but placed within the city of Jerusalem. Hebrews 11:10, For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Abraham looked for a future city with foundations designed and built by God. Hebrews 12:22, But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. We, in the New Testament, have come to the heavenly Jerusalem the city of the living God. Hebrews 13:14, For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. The old Jerusalem was not enduring, but we look for a city that is yet to come. New Jerusalem: Revelation chapters 21-22 show us the presence of God coming to man. This is our true home!! Revelation 21:1, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. It s in God s plan to bring a new heaven and new earth to humanity. The sea represents evil and is no more. 2) I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 The Holy City, the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven. 3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. The dwelling place of God will be with humanity here on the new earth. 4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death [b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. God brings His peace and healing to all of creation. 5) He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. God is making everything new restoring it to what it had been in the Garden of Eden. The book Eve by Paul Young: In the story, Lilly is the daughter of Eve. Eve takes Lilly to the barriers that surround Eden. Eve explains things to Lilly as they stand near a wall of fire and see beautiful colors and hear music coming from Eden. Eve pointed. up, down, side to side, near and far. Rve said, Eden has six boundaries, if you include the ground. Eden is a cube. You understand a cube, Lilly? Eve fell silent for a time, then turned her attention back to the garden. Eden is the Grand Delight, the deepest and the truest. There will come an age when this garden will encompass all creation and all dimensions. 6) He said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. It is done! Ever heard that statement before? Jesus on the cross it is finished. 6b) To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. The spiritually thirsty will drink from the water of life. 7) Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. Those who partake of the water of life and accept Jesus will inherit this and be God s children and the Father will be their God. 8) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
4 Possible consideration of this second death: Sinners won t be there because most will have repented and accepted Jesus after they had been resurrected. We know that our first death is physical, while according to Paul, our 2 nd death is spiritual. Romans 6:3, Don t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4) We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5) For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. So this verse in Revelation maybe referring to people s baptism which is their spiritual death. 9) One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. An Angel takes John to see the bride of the Lamb. 10) And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. And he shows John the Holy City, Jerusalem coming from heaven. 11) It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It shines with the glory of God. Verses12-14 describe the walls and gates of the city. Verses 15-21 describe the heavenly Jerusalem as a huge cube and decorated in beautiful colors. 22) I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. There is no temple in the heavenly Jerusalem because the Father and Jesus are the temple. 23) The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. There is no need of the sun or moon because the glory of God gives the city light. 24) The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.
5 All the earth is drawn to this city. 25) On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. There is never a time when the gates are shut to keep people out. Many theologians believe this is an open door to those who have not yet chosen to participate with God and accept Jesus. 26) The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. All glory and honor is submitted to God. 27) Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb s book of life. Remaining sinners won t enter. Revelation 22:1, Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb The river of life flows down the main street of the city. This parallels Eden where the rivers flowed out from it. 2) down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. The tree of life, that was in the Garden of Eden, is here in the city of the heavenly Jerusalem. 3) No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. The curse is removed and the throne of God is there. 4) They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Everyone s allegiance is to Jesus! 5) There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. There will be no more night which represents evil. 6) The angel said to me, These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place. These things will come to pass, because God is trustworthy. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others have believed these things would come to pass.
6 7) Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll. Blessed is he who keeps these words Communion: Rev. 22:12, Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14) Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Our robes are washed by the blood of Christ. This table represents that conclusion to the whole story of God from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22!!! Blessing and Closing Prayer