Greg Laurie - When Heaven Comes to Earth (11/11/2017)
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Pastor Greg Laurie teaches from Revelation 21 that one day God will bring heaven to earth in a completely new creation—no more death, pain, tears, or sorrow. He describes the glorious future restoration of all things, the believer's journey through end times events, and calls us to live with eternal hope while sharing the gospel today.
Opening Prayer and Introduction
Father, we're glad to be here this night to celebrate your love and the fact that you are in control of all things. We look at our world right now and it seems like it's in some ways out of control. Chaos, confusion, fear. But yet you are in control and you tell us that even though the mountains shake, you see it. You still are there, controlling all things. And actually, we know, according to scripture, that there is a plan that you have for the days ahead. So as we explore that plan a little bit, give us an understanding of how it works in our lives. We commit this time of Bible study to you now. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Hey, uh, how'd you like Mr. Mike and the kids? That's pretty good, wasn't it? Yeah. Yeah. This is Mr. Mike's CD. You want to make your kids happy, get this CD. I have one in both of our cars and it plays nonstop if any grandchild is in the car. These songs, Honor the Lord, the kids love them. And I have to admit, I find myself kind of humming them myself too. You know what? Because they're really good songs. So you might want to grab one of these as you leave. And, uh, I think your kids will love you for it or your grandkids.
All right. Let's grab our Bibles and turn to Revelation 21. Now we're in a series on Thursday nights we're calling Essentials. And we've been looking at the end times. We have two more messages in this series. There was going to only be one, but I'm going to add one more. Next Thursday night I'm going to speak on the topic of, I don't have a title yet, but the concept of it is, okay, what does this all mean in our lives? How should this belief that Christ could come back at any time affect us in day-to-day living? And then the following Thursday, that's not next Thursday, but the following, I'm going to do a message with a working title, Israel, Isis, and Iran. You know, I've talked about Antichrist, Armageddon, and America. And that's one aspect of the prophetic puzzle. Now I want to look at this Middle East situation that we hear so much about, talk about Isis, Iran, and Israel in the light of Bible prophecy. So that's two Thursdays away, and we'll bring this series to a close.
When Heaven Comes to Earth – The Main Theme
But the title of my message tonight is, When Heaven Comes to Earth. Now you've heard the expression, man, it was like heaven on earth. You maybe even used it. Maybe after a fantastic meal, or an amazing sunset, or arriving at Disneyland. Probably not. That's probably more for the kids, right? I think the happiest time for a kid at Disneyland is when they arrive. And the happiest time for an adult at Disneyland is when you leave. Am I right? Oh, let's go. Let's go now.
Now, but we use that expression to describe sort of the best of something, a pinnacle, a great moment. And we wish that time we were having, it was that ultimate vacation, or that fantastic experience could last forever. But of course they don't. But one day there literally is going to be heaven on earth, because there is a new world coming. Not just up in heaven, but when heaven comes to earth.
Our Reluctance to Leave This Earth
Now we tend to think of heaven as some far away place, and earth is a place that we're on now, and we will leave never to see again. Many years ago my wife, Kathy, was driving with our youngest son, Jonathan. I think he was probably around maybe four or five years old at that point. And she was talking about the afterlife, and how wonderful heaven was going to be, and how we were going to be with the Lord. And as she went on and on about heaven, Jonathan got very quiet. And then Kathy said to Jonathan, “Jonathan, is everything okay? What do you think about what I'm saying?” And he said, “Mom, I don't want to leave this beautiful earth that God made.” So all that talk of the afterlife frightened him a little bit.
But here's the good news. We're going to come back to this earth again. God still has a plan for planet earth. Sometimes we'll say as Christians, we're going to just die and go to heaven, or be raptured into heaven, and we'll be there with the Lord forever. Actually, that's not theologically correct. One day, yes, we are going to heaven, but one day God's going to restore this planet. In fact, we read in Acts 3:21, that things must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
God's Plan of Restoration
You see, God is into restoration. I love restored stuff, don't you? I love it when a car has been restored to its original state, maybe a 57 Chevy cruising down the road, an old Woody, whatever it might be. And you see, man, that thing looks like it just drove off the showroom floor. That's because someone took the time to restore it. God's into restoration as well. He's going to restore this planet. He's going to restore our bodies. And one day, heaven and earth will become one. According to Ephesians 1:10, God's perfect plan is to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
And by the way, this will be the fulfillment of that part of the Lord's Prayer. We say to the Father, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Randy Alcorn in his excellent book on heaven says this, and I quote, “We won't go to heaven to leave earth behind. Rather, God will bring heaven and earth together into the same dimension with no wall of separation, no armed angels to guard heaven's perfection from sinful mankind. Jesus will make earth into heaven and heaven into earth. Just as the wall that separates God and mankind is torn down in Jesus, so too the wall that separates heaven and earth will forever be demolished,” end quote.
Not a Sequel – A Full Remake
So there will be heaven on earth one day. And by the way, it's just not a sequel, but a remake. Sometimes they'll make a great movie and it's very popular, and so they'll do, you know, a sequel. And then if it's very successful, they'll do prequels, right? Remember, there was Star Wars, and then there was The Empire Strikes Back, and those became very popular. And then later, Lucas came back and did the prequels to the Star Wars films, which I didn't like at all. But, you know, and then if a movie's really popular, it'll be re-released, and maybe they'll go back and digitally restore it and put it on Blu-ray or whatever. And so you can see it in its original condition. But I want you to understand that this is not merely a restoration. This is a full remake, yet there is a connection to the old.
The Biblical Vision – Revelation 21:1-6
So let's try to figure this out. Look at Revelation 21. We're reading verses 1 to 6. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 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 things have passed away.’ And he who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And he said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the beginning and the end. And I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to he who thirsts.’”
So we will stop there. Look at verse 5 again. “Behold, I make all things new.” And the new world that is coming, it is out with the old and in with the new. So there will be no more terminal diseases. No more hospitals. No more wheelchairs. No more funerals. No suffering. No separations. No accidents. No courts or prisons or divorces. Or breakdowns or breakups. No suicide. No rape. No missing children. No drug problems. No more heart attacks. No strokes. No Alzheimer's. No cancer. No more famines. No disasters. God makes all things new. Is that exciting or what? Hello? Do we have a pulse tonight? Yes, so what? Yeah, that's good news, isn't it? He's going to make all things new.
Our Love for New Things – God's Real New
I think we all like to get new versions of something. I mean, all the fanboys out there who love Apple products will stand in line to get the latest iPhone 6 or 6 Plus or whatever it is that Apple is offering. We're excited about the newest version. We always want to have the latest thing. Or it can even be the new season of your favorite TV show. Oh, it's coming on. I can hardly wait to see it. Or it's that new shirt or that's new anything. Even that new car. How about the new car smell? Don't you love that? I was with a friend the other day. He had a brand new car. Took me out for a spin. This car just had the new car smell. So I left a burrito in it. I haven't told him yet. He's going to know this very soon. No, I didn't do that. But it would be interesting. But that's why advertisers will often say new and improved on a product. Now the only thing that may be new and improved is actually the packaging. Or the color. Or maybe they added one ingredient so they could technically say new and improved. But they do that because they know we're drawn to the newest version. We love new.
Well listen. God loves new too. But in God's case, this is not false advertising. This is the real thing. What started in Genesis is brought to completion in the book of Revelation. Everything is coming full circle. C.S. Lewis said, and I quote, “Every taste of the shadow lands was but the stab, the pain, the inconsolable longing for this place,” end quote. Lewis would refer to life on earth as the shadow lands. So he's saying, Everything has been building to this moment.
Ten Things Missing in the New Creation
Chuck Swindoll wrote an outstanding commentary on the book of Revelation. And he noted the following. Ten things missing from the new heaven and the new earth. Number one, there's no more sea. Revelation 21:1. That's because chaos and calamity will be eradicated. There's no more tears. Because now we have perspective. Revelation 21:4. There's no more death. Because mortality will be swallowed up by life. Verse 4 of Revelation 21. No more mourning. Because sorrow will be completely comforted. Verse 4 of 21. No more pain. Because all human suffering will be cured. Verse 4. No more thirst. Because God will quench and satisfy all desires. Revelation 21:6. No more wickedness. Because all evil will be eradicated. Revelation 21:8,27. No more night. Because God's glory will give eternal light. That's in Revelation 21. No more closed gates. Because God's doors will always be open. Revelation 21:25. And finally, no more curse. Because Christ's blood has lifted that curse. Because Jesus is making all things new.
God's Eternal Declaration – It Is Done
Now listen to this. This is already as far as God is concerned a completely done deal. Now you might be saying well Greg, no it isn't a done deal. Do you live in the same world that I live in with all the chaos right now? Yes I do. But understand God lives in the eternal realm. And so in verse 6 he says “It is done.” It is done. Even though it isn't done in our life yet, in reality yet, as far as God is concerned, it is done. Because the term that is used here speaks of finality. Literally, they have become. Past tense. Meaning that God is speaking of the future as if it were already in the past. And that is because God living in the eternal realm will tell us what is going to happen. And if he tells us this is going to happen, it is not like God is going out on a limb. Because he can see it with absolute clarity. And he is simply describing reality to us. So when he says it will happen, it will happen.
Quick Flyover of End Times Events
Now in this essential series we have been looking at last days events. And I think sometimes people can't see the forest for the trees when you talk about eschatology or the end times. We get confused like when does the rapture happen? When does the second coming happen? Where does the millennium fit in? So let me just do a quick flyover and bring us to where we are at this particular moment. As far as I am concerned, the next event on the prophetic calendar will most likely be the rapture of the church. Okay? That is when we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then I think really on the heels of the rapture we have Antichrist who we have already talked about. That coming world leader also called the beast emerging on the scene. That effectively inaugurates a seven year period that is called the Great Tribulation.
That interestingly does not begin with war but it begins with peace. Because Antichrist uses peace as a ruse to deceive people. The Bible says through peace he will deceive many. In that tribulation period we will have the rebuilding of the Jewish temple that needs to be desecrated so the third temple will be rebuilt. And that will be called the Abomination of Desolation. We have wars breaking out culminating in Armageddon and then there is a second coming of Jesus Christ. So that is sort of the big prophetic picture.
What Happens to Believers After Death
So here is how it works for us. When a believer dies they go straight to heaven. Because the Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Paul talked about how he had a desire to depart and be with Christ which was far better. But we haven't received our new body yet. See your body goes into the ground when you die. But your soul goes into God's presence. But then in the bodily resurrection which happens at the time of the rapture, that is when those who have died will receive their new bodies. They have been in heaven but they will receive their new glorified bodies at that point and those who are alive will not die at all. They get to skip death which is very cool and go straight to heaven.
Now will we be that generation? I don't know. I hope so. We could be. But we will see. But one way or another here is the good news. You are getting to heaven. Okay? If you put your faith in Christ. That is all that really matters when it is said and done.
The Rapture and Resurrection Bodies
But speaking of this Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 it will happen in a moment in the blinking of an eye the last trumpet and then the trumpet sounds of Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. We which are living will be transformed so we will never die for our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. So now we are in heaven. Okay? The tribulation is happening on planet earth. Sometime after the rapture and before the second coming in heaven we as Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. This is not the great white throne judgment. That is the big one for non-believers. It happens later. This is the judgment seat of Christ. Don't be freaked out by that because this isn't a judgment as to whether or not you get into heaven. In fact it is you are in heaven for the judgment. Think of it as an award ceremony. Alright? And that is when rewards will be given out for faithful service to the Lord.
Rewards, Wedding Supper, and Return with Christ
And the Bible talks about the crown of life that will be given and the crown of righteousness and other rewards. And so then we are going to have the wedding supper of the Lamb somewhere in that time. And then we will be with Jesus when he returns to the earth. Okay? So here we are back on earth for a moment. The tribulation period is raging. The battle of Armageddon is in full force. And here comes Christ returning to earth. This is different than the rapture. In the rapture we go up and the second coming we come down. What goes up must come down. In the rapture he comes for his church and the second coming he returns with his church. At the rapture we are caught up. It is like a thief in the night. In the second coming every eye will see him.
And then Jude talks about the Lord coming with ten thousands of His saints. And then Paul tells us who those saints are in Colossians. He says, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we shall also appear with Him in glory. So we are coming back with the Lord. So that is good news, isn't it? Right? So if you have never been able to take a tour with us to the Holy Land, and you are going to get that Holy Land tour. You are not coming back in a bus, though. You are coming back with the Lord Himself.
The Millennial Kingdom
All right, now, here is where it breaks down for some people. Christ comes back to the earth and establishes what we call the millennium. How long is the millennium? It is a thousand years. That is what the word millennium means. That is where we get the word millennium. The thousand year reign of Christ. But this is not the end. Yet, during the millennium, Satan is bound by a chain. And so then, here is this time where Christ is ruling over the earth. And this is going to be an amazing time. Because the Bible tells us this is when the lamb will be with the lion, and the little child will lead them. And there will be peace on earth. And the righteousness of the Lord will fill the planet.
Satan's Final Rebellion and Judgment
And then, after this, Satan is released from his pit for a short time. And a brief rebellion takes place. This is mind-boggling to me. Because, see, we are not going to be the only ones around in the millennium. We are in our glorified body at this time. We are ruling over others. Who are we ruling over? Descendants of the descendants of the descendants of the descendants of the tribulation people. There will be mere mortals that will survive the tribulation period. And we will rule over them. Okay? Now, we are temptation-proof at this point. We are in this brand-new glorified body. But these folks are still in a sinful body. And amazingly, despite the fact that Christ is ruling righteously and perfectly in the millennial reign, some people are going to follow Satan for his little brief fling of rebellion. Then he is completely judged and removed from the scene. And it is around that time that the great white throne judgment takes place. And that is for non-believers.
The Destruction of the Old Earth
Now, at some point, the old earth is destroyed. In Isaiah, God says, I'll create new heavens and a new earth. And the former shall not be remembered nor come to mind. The first heaven and the first earth have passed away, verse 1 says. Elaborating on this, 2 Peter 3:10 says, “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. The heavens shall pass away with a great noise. The elements will be disintegrated with intense heat. The earth and all of its works will be burned up according to the promise. We look for these new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Entering Eternal Timelessness
So, now here comes the culmination of all things. The grand finale. As the French would say, The pièce de résistance. Is that right? Did I say it right? It means... I don't know what it means. I think it means like the culmination of a fine meal or... Really, who cares? But anyway, it's the big event now. The big moment. And the last marking of time was given to us in Revelation 20. So, now the millennium is over. And we enter into an eternal timelessness. So, it's hard to wrap our minds around, isn't it? If you've ever gone on vacation and... You know, you've gotten to a place where you're so relaxed you don't even know what day it is. I don't know about you, but when I go on vacation, it takes me seven days to reach chill factor. Seven days. Where I actually can just stop thinking about all the things I need to do. And what's weird is, even when you don't have your cell phone with you... Have you ever gotten a text without a cell phone? That's when you know you have a cell phone on you too much, right? You get the little, oh, someone's gone. Oh, I don't have a cell phone. That's weird. So, it takes me a while. Am I the only one? Has anyone ever gotten that? Wow. Phantom text. Nobody else? Shut up. I know you have. How many of you had the... You thought you could... See? You're like... You're not backing me on this. Like, you're crazy. But there's like lots of you. Okay? So, you're as bad as I am, aren't you? Well, it takes a while to relax. And then you just... You know, you're kind of enjoying the time. Now, just multiply this thousands and thousands of times. And you get a sense of this timelessness we're living in. In the presence of the Lord.
No More Sea – Barriers Removed
Now, the Bible does tell us there's no more ocean. I know this is a big letdown for all the surfers out there. But here's what I know about God. If God takes away something, He always gives you something better in its place. Right? So, maybe there's no ocean which separates mankind from one another. God's removing the barriers that separate us to bring us all together. But we'll have something far better than that. For starters, we won't have to deal with cold water. Speaking of phones, good time to mute your phone. Go ahead. We know it's you. Do it. Don't let it keep ringing. Okay, they got it. I love when a person gets a call. They don't want to be the one that is exposed. So, they just let it keep ringing. Okay? Best to just get it. It's all right. But, um... I don't know about you, but I like to surf like... I was just talking to someone about this the other day. I said, I feel like I'm always learning to surf. I mean, I've been surfing for like 35, 40 years. I don't know. And every time I get in the water, it's like I'm just learning because I never surf. I only go when conditions are perfect and the water is warm, which is really rarely. So, I'm always just, how do you catch a wave again? Like, what is this? You know? And I like warm water. I don't like cold water. There's diehard surfers out there that go out no matter what the conditions. You know, those guys that get out there on the Dawn Patrol and they're going to catch up first waves while it's dark out still. That's not me. So, I'm thinking what God's going to give us in this place. First of all, it's warm. It's not cold. And there's no great whites to worry about. That's good news, isn't it? And if there are great whites, they'll be Christian, I'm sure. You know? They'll be loving great white sharks that will hug you or something. A little fin like that. I heard about a Christian that was out surfing and he saw a great white coming at him and he said, God, help me. God, deliver me. And, you know, this great white's coming fast. And he didn't know what else to pray. And so, he just said, God, I just pray he's a Christian shark. Make him a Christian shark. And just at that point, as the shark is closing in, the shark says, Lord, for this meal that I'm about to receive, I give you thanks. You say, Greg, haven't I heard that with a bear? Yeah, I just changed it to a shark. This is not a true story.
At present, two-thirds of the earth's surface is covered with water. The remaining one-third includes a large area rendered worthless due to mountains and deserts. Therefore, only a small percentage of the earth's surface is inhabitable. So, God is eliminating these barriers. We all come together. And then, we're with all those great men and women of God that have gone before us. I mean, just imagine it. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah. They're all there. Sarah, Ruth, Mary, David, Noah, Jonah, Peter, James, and John. They're there, too. And then, great people from history like William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, C.H. Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, C.S. Lewis, and best of all, your loved ones that have come before you. They're there, too. And you'll all be together for all eternity. But best of all, of course, is the Lord is there.
Seeing God Face to Face
And this is what Jesus was talking about when he said in Matthew 5, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Again, to quote Randy Alcorn from his book, “Seeing God will be like seeing everything else for the first time. Why? Because not only will we see God, but he will be the lens through which we see everything else, people, ourselves, and the events of this life,” end quote.
God Tabernacling with Men
So God himself now breaks the silence with something he wants everyone to hear. Look at verse 3. “I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them, and be their God.’” This is really important. Because throughout history, in a sense, God has shrouded himself from mankind. He did select certain people in the Old Testament to know him in a special way. People like Moses. The Bible says God spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to a friend. But in the Old Testament, generally, God was to be approached first in the tabernacle, that's the tent, later in the temple, through a high priest that would bring a sacrifice on behalf of the people.
But now everything has changed because Christ himself has established this new covenant for us with the Father. And now it's fully realized. And I want you to notice that God the Father himself joins his Son to dwell with his people. At this point, the tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them. God himself will be with them, and be their God.
Open Access to God Forever
Now think about this. We all have questions we want to ask God. We'll say, one day when I get to heaven, Hey, this is the day. You're in heaven, and heaven has come to earth. I want to ask the Lord something. Well, go ask him. There he is. And he has time for you. Remember how Adam would take walks with God every day before he sinned? The Bible says that the Lord God would come walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And so Adam could say, Hey, Lord, I really discovered some cool stuff today. And the Lord says, Well, yes, I know all about it. Ask me anything you want, Adam. And what a great time that was as Adam looked forward to this walk with the Lord. And now here we are as heaven comes to earth in an Eden-like state, but even better when we have open access to God day and night, no matter when, no appointment required.
The New Jerusalem – Prepared Place
Now think about this for a moment. If you could live at any time historically, what time would you live? Would you live in the first century, the second century? Would you live in the 20th century? Would you live in the 50s, the 60s, the 70s? I read a poll among Americans, and they were asked what era they wish they could live in. And the number one time was the 50s. And I lived in the 50s. I was very young. I don't remember much. But I remember the 60s a little bit better. They say if you remember the 60s, you weren't there. But those are people that use too many drugs. I actually do remember the 60s. And then, you know, onward to today. But if I could live at any time historically, I would have picked the first century. Not because of how sophisticated it was or anything like that, but just because I would like to have been there when Jesus walked this earth. You know, I would like to have seen Jesus with my own eyes. I would like to have, of course, been one of his disciples or even just one of the multitude and be able to hear his words with my ears. Well, that day will come for me. And that day will come for you.
And in this new earth, we have a new city. Look at verse 2. “I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride is prepared for her husband.” Notice this new city has been prepared. What did Jesus say to us in John 14? He said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, you may be also.” And the word here, prepared, is the same Greek word used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:9 when he says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of men the things that God has prepared for those that love Him.”
So, the new earth and the new Jerusalem are prepared places for prepared people. So, here now is the new Jerusalem. And by the way, Jerusalem has always and will always play a key role in the big picture of God's plan. Jerusalem, you might say, Jerusalem is the city of the past, the present, and the future. Jerusalem is a salvation center of the world spiritually. It's a storm center of the world prophetically. And it's the glory center of the world ultimately. But it's a city of the past. Jerusalem is a city, of course, that was the capital of Israel under King David. The first temple was built there by David's son, Solomon. And the Shekinah glory of God rested over that city. And, of course, it was outside the walls of Jerusalem where our Lord was crucified. It's a city of our past. It's a city of our present. When the Jewish people formed a nation on May 14, 1948, it was a modern-day miracle. And more specifically, a fulfilled prophecy that sent the prophetic clock ticking. Never has a nation been able to maintain its national identity even three to five hundred years after being removed from its homeland until Israel. So it's a city of the present, but it's also the city of the future. It is in the Middle East and around Jerusalem, as a matter of fact, that world history will come to an end. Jerusalem will be at the center of the final conflict of the Battle of Armageddon. And Christ will enter through the East Gate and establish His kingdom. But now we're talking about the new Jerusalem. Now maybe the new Jerusalem is already in heaven. And maybe believers are there right now. But now God brings His heavenly city down to earth because there's no more division. There's no crime in this big city. There's no corruption. Just harmony with God and with each other. We live in a curse-free world.
Active Service in the New Earth
Now listen to this. That's not all. Because we're going to be busy when the new Jerusalem comes to earth. I think sometimes people think when we then go to heaven, we're just going to sit around and eat and get fat and take naps. And that may be appealing to some people. But that's not what the Bible teaches. Scripture tells us that we're going to be active in the Lord's service. Notice Revelation 22:3 says, “His servants will serve Him.” We're doing something. In heaven and in the new earth, we will be busy. We have activities there, things to do, doing the Lord's work.
Coming back to vacations. I like to vacation for a time. But then I get bored. And then I want to get back to what I really love to do, which is serve the Lord. So really, what is a vacation? It's time to recreate or re-create, to recharge your batteries and get back to what it is you're called to do. Well, here we are now busy in the work of the Lord. Revelation 7:15 says, We're standing in front of the throne of God, serving Him day and night in His temple. And one wonders what the Lord has in store for us there.
Restoration of Lost Privileges
Maybe you will be able to finish some of the tasks that remained uncompleted on earth. Or maybe dreams that were shattered here will be fulfilled there. Sometimes we act as though life on earth is it. You pass through this life, it's over, and now this nebulous thing called the afterlife. I think we'd be thinking more accurately and more biblically if we instead thought this life here as the before life. And then began to think of the afterlife or what it is. The afterlife, friends, is the main event, you see. And there are things that are going to happen there.
So, what if someone in this life is born with a disability? I think of someone like Nick Vujicic, born without arms or legs. I think of Joni Eareckson Tada, confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. Now, these two individuals have glorified God, but yet, they've suffered in life, haven't they? And I think of people that I know that their body's breaking down because of age. And then I think of others that their life, well, it seems like it was cut short. Maybe a child died. Maybe a young man or a woman died. And it just seemed so unfair because you say, why was their life cut short? And then you see other people that live long lives and break all the rules. And then to make it even worse, they live wicked, sinful lives. And you say, well, what's going on here? I mean, they live these awful lives and do nothing with it. Maybe even do evil things with the life. And then there's this other life with so much potential that's cut short.
But that's because we're thinking about everything in the here and now and we need to elevate our thinking a little bit and realize that life goes on, you see. And so in the future, I believe that God is going to more than compensate for these things. He's going to restore what we lost here. Heaven and the new earth will be the restoration of earth's lost privileges. Let me say that again. I want you to think about this. Heaven and the new earth will be the restoration of earth's lost privileges. You see, death for the believer is not the end of life. It's a continuation of it in another place. And this place is heaven and ultimately on the new earth. So I believe that is when all these wrongs will be righted.
The Promise – No More Tears or Pain
Here now is one of the most beautiful promises in all of Scripture. Look at verse 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 things have passed away.”
The question is often asked, will there be tears in heaven? So what do you think? Will there be tears in heaven? Will there? We think, no. Why? Well, Eric Clapton told us. There's no more tears in heaven. And so we, and we read this verse. See, there's no more tears in heaven. Wait a second. Chronologically, what are we talking about? Are we talking about heaven here? No, we're talking about the new earth. We're talking about when heaven comes to earth and at this time 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 things have passed away.
Tears in the Present Heaven – Perspective Gained
There will be tears in heaven. Say, well, where do you get that? Well, for starters, when we cry, God keeps our tears in a bottle. Now, where does He store those? Maybe somewhere in heaven? And how about this scene in the book of Revelation? Where John begins to weep because no one is worthy to open the scroll. And then we see Christ emerging as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Wait a second. He's crying in heaven. I thought there weren't tears in heaven. Well, I guess there are. But let's understand. You see, there can be tears of joy, and there can be tears of deep sorrow and mourning.
Here's what you have in heaven. You have perspective. And I want to sort of attack a view that I think is unbiblical, that is sometimes held by Christians. And it's the view that when I get to heaven, I effectively have a spiritual lobotomy. And I don't remember anything about earth. And the logic is, well, if I remembered sad things on earth, heaven wouldn't be joyful. Therefore, God will remove those things. And we come back to this verse, where He says that He's going to wipe away every tear. There's no more death nor sorrow. That doesn't mean that you're not aware of what's happening. But what it does mean is you have perspective because you're in the presence of the Lord.
Listen, in heaven you know more, not less. Because the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13, we will know as we are known. People ask the question, will we recognize one another in heaven? What, do you think you'll be more stupid in heaven than you are on earth? Maybe I should ask you the question, do you recognize one another on earth? No? Well, maybe you won't in heaven. Because you're just kind of dumb. No, not really. But in heaven, of course, we'll recognize one another. And we'll have that perspective. But there is coming a day when God will wipe away all tears, all sorrow. There's no more death, no more pain. The former things have passed away.
Comfort for Present Suffering
There's great pain in life, isn't there? And what can you say? You know, I talk to people all the time who are hurting. I just talked to a young man recently whose brother died. And to make things even worse, he died by suicide. You know, what do you say at a time like that? What are the right words? And one thing I've learned from mourning myself and suffering myself is a lot of times, less is more. You know, when I was 21 and I was young in the ministry, I knew everything. You should have known me then. I was so awesome. I had hair. I looked like I was part of the Duck Dynasty show. I was yellow. I was skinny. And I had the answer to every Bible question you had. I knew everything. I had the answer before you finished your question. Now here I am at 40. And I realized I never really did have those answers. And guess what? I don't have to have all the answers. I don't always have to have the words. But I always send people to the word. To him. Not here's the manual, but rather, no, here's Emmanuel. It's God. Because that's where I find my strength. And I know that's where others will find their strength. It's not that I won't offer biblical answers, but I realize that sometimes just being with a person and loving them is the best thing you can do when they're suffering and they're in pain. But listen, one day all pain will be gone. There'll be no more physical or emotional pain. No more pain from a broken body. Or from a broken heart. Or broken bones. Or broken marriages. Or broken lives.
Newness Begins Now – In Christ
And not only does God do this for our bodies and the earth, but he does it for us today. See, the good news is we don't have to wait for this moment to have that newness in our life. Because 2 Corinthians 5:17, one of the great verses of Scripture says, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is an altogether different kind of person. Old things have passed away. Behold, everything becomes fresh and new.”
So what old things pass away when you become a follower of Jesus? Well, old sins. Certainly God forgives our sins and He forgets them. As Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the East is from the West is as far as God has removed our transgressions from us.” And if a person is a true Christian, their focus and their values will change. Old values, ideas, plans, loves, desires, and beliefs vanish and are replaced by new things.
Let me turn that around. Now, if your desires have not changed, if you are not longing to be more like Christ, are you really a new person? You see, because when you've come to this newness of life, everything changes. A new desire to know God and learn more from Him. A new desire to be led by the Spirit and to be used by God. But things you had no interest in are suddenly the most fascinating things of life to you. And things that you used to be obsessed with now hold no allure to you or for you whatsoever. Do you understand what I'm talking about? Like this book. Who cared about this book before you were a Christian? Well, what do I want to read that for? And now as a follower of Jesus, you open this book and God Himself speaks to you through it. And when you go into the house of God and you worship the Lord and you connect with the Lord through your worship and through prayer and hearing His Word, this is something you long for. You desire. You want to grow spiritually. If you don't have that desire, my question to you is, are you really a new person in Christ? We have a new desire to bring glory to God in our life and a new desire to see God in Heaven.
A Sobering Reality Check – Who Is Excluded
But of course, Heaven is not the default destination of every person. It is a default destination of every believer. But it's not the default destination of every person. Look at verse 8. “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.”
So people have not made it in here. Everyone doesn't go to heaven. Maybe all dogs go to heaven, but all people don't. And actually, dogs don't either. But I just thought you may have heard of that movie. Who's outside? Well, first, it's the cowardly. It takes courage to follow Jesus Christ. These are people who are too afraid of what others think so they don't follow Jesus. You know, it's been said you wouldn't think so much about what people think of you if you realized how little they do. And we're so worried about it. Well, what will they think? Does it really matter to you that much? Enough to keep you away from God? Enough to keep you away from heaven? So the cowardly and the unbelieving are outside. Because they couldn't make that stand for Christ.
And also, it mentions the abominable. You think, abominable? The only one I know that would fit that category is a snowman, isn't it? And he's at Disneyland, if I'm not mistaken. Actually, this word abominable is an interesting word. It means to be wholly caught up in wickedness and evil. And there are people like this. They're wholly caught up in it. They're just going whole hog into sin. They have no restraints. Do whatever they want. Say whatever they want. These people are outside.
Also, the sexually immoral. And this comes from the Greek word porneia. Guess what English word we get from that? Pornographic. Pornography. But actually, it's a word that means more than just looking at sexual images. In the original language, it's a word that encompasses a lot of things. It speaks of fornication. That's premarital sex. Or adultery. That's extramarital sex. The only place where God will bless sex is in a marriage between a man and a woman. There are no exceptions to that. And if you're in love with someone, God didn't say it's okay for you to have sex with your boyfriend. You wouldn't believe what people say to me. You know, are you guys having sex? Yeah, but the Lord told us it was okay. Oh, did he? Yeah. He said, go for it, my child. No, he didn't. You said that to yourself. God won't bless that. And certainly, extramarital sex. You're married. You saved that for that one that you've committed your life to.
But then the word sorcerer is mentioned. Now, this is interesting. It comes from the Greek word pharmakeia. We get our English word pharmacy from it. Now, in the first century, and even today, drugs were used in the worship of false gods. Thus, it's connected to idolatry. So, there is a connection between the world of drugs and the world of darkness. It can open the door. And by the way, you want my opinion? I'll give it to you even if you don't want it. I am fully against the legalization of marijuana. And I think it's a huge mistake. It's been legalized in Colorado. And I heard the governor say, Yeah, I think we made a mistake. Do you think? And now the genie is out of the bottle. And it is a gateway drug. Don't let anyone tell you differently. It is that stepping stone to other drugs. And people can go deeply into the drug culture and start opening their mind and their heart to spiritual wickedness and occultism and all kinds of crazy stuff. Do you think it's a mistake that so many people that were in this 60s counterculture got into Eastern religions and occultism? There's just a natural progression. So that's what this is talking about. It's not saying it's a sin for you to take Tylenol or Advil or drugs in a proper way. And there can be drugs used in an appropriate way. This is talking about mind-altering drugs that can lead you in this direction.
Now, I want you to notice, it doesn't say if you've done these things, you'll not go to heaven. It says if you do these things, you'll not go to heaven. There's a big difference, you know. Because as we listen, I say, oh, I've done some of these things. Okay, but if you've repented of it and asked God to forgive you, then you're forgiven. And you're that new person in Christ. But what the Bible is warning is if you do these things, you won't enter the kingdom of heaven. So that's something to think about, isn't it?
Now, some people don't like that. Of course, they say, well, I don't agree with that. Okay, so, that's interesting. Well, my God would never say that. Oh, who is your God? My God. Take a hard look, friend. Your God is you. I mean, you can't just make up God as you go. God's a package deal. You take Him as He is. You don't edit parts out you don't like. You don't take parts of the scripture you don't agree with and simply discard them. The Lord tells you who He is. And He tells you to worship Him.
Practical Applications of This Hope
So, outside are these people. Okay, so let's wrap this up and close it. So, what do we learn for our own lives as we think about this hope of heaven and the new earth? Number one, it helps us keep perspective during times of trial. Knowing there is heaven, knowing there is a new earth, it helps you keep perspective during times of trial. Life on earth is full of trial, hardship, sadness, disappointment, but God is going to make it up to us. No pain is wasted by God. Romans 8:18 says, “I consider the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.” God's ultimate goal is to make us like Christ.
Number two, it helps us to be truly heavenly minded and we will thus live godly lives. See, when I believe that this is all real. How many of you believe what we've read is real? You believe it. Okay. If you really believe this stuff is real, all these things I've said to you from the Bible, if you believe this is real, it'll affect you in the way that you live. When someone says, oh, you're so heavenly minded, you're no earthly good, that's absurd. The fact is, there are far too many people that are so earthly minded, they're no heavenly good. When I know there's a future judgment that deters me from doing evil, when I know there are future rewards, it motivates me to do what is right. So my belief about the afterlife has maximum effect on me in this life, you see? So it's very important what I think about life beyond the grave. And that's why Paul said in Colossians 3, “Since you've been raised with Christ, set your minds on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” And that phrase, set your minds, can be translated, think about these things. Or just simply, think heaven. Seek heaven. Be heavenly minded.
Motivation to Share the Gospel
Number three, it motivates us to want to take as many people as possible with us. It motivates us to want to take as many people as possible with us. Quick poll. How many of you believe that the Bible is true? Raise your hand. You believe that the Bible is true. Okay, good. How many of you believe that everything we have just read is true? Raise your hand. Okay. How many of you believe what God says here about the afterlife? Raise your hand. Okay. How many of you have gone out of your way in light of this to share the gospel with someone in the last two weeks? Raise your hand. Okay. Now, I'm not going to put you down, but you all didn't raise your hand that time, did you? See, all the other times, yeah, me, me, I'm not going to lie in church. It's good. Let's be truthful. Yeah, I haven't done that. Why? Well, I don't know. See, but if I really believe these things, shouldn't it affect me in the way I see people? People that cross my path or I cross their path to want to engage them with the message of the gospel? I hope so.
Closing Invitation – Do You Have This Hope?
And so bringing this message to a close, I want to just say that everything we've talked about, this is the hope of the follower of Jesus Christ. I believe these words are true. I believe one day I'll be in heaven. I believe one day heaven will come to earth. And I believe God is in control of my life. And I believe he's forgiven my sins. Do you have that hope?
Maybe you've joined us here tonight and you've maybe been brought by a friend. You didn't really know what you were coming to exactly. And now that you've heard this, you're thinking, wow, I've never heard these things before. So here's my question. Do you have the assurance right now that if you were to die, you would go to heaven? Because if you don't have it, you need to get it.
See, maybe I talked about some of these things here. You know, the immoral or the people involved in drugs or sorcery or occult or whatever it is. Maybe you're doing some of that stuff. Well, listen, here's the good news. God will forgive you of any sin you've committed. I don't care how bad it is if you'll turn from that sin and ask for his forgiveness. Because 2,000 years ago, God loved you so much he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for your sin and to rise again from the dead. And that same Jesus who died and rose again is with us right now standing at the door of your life and knocking. And he is saying, if you'll hear his voice and open the door, he will come in.
Would you like to ask Jesus to forgive you? Do you need a second chance in life? Have you done something you're ashamed of? Well, listen, God will forgive you. He already knows about it. So it's not like he's going to freak out when you tell him. What? He knew you were going to do it before you did it. He saw you do it. And he paid for that sin at the cross of Calvary. And will forgive you if you'll ask him. But he will not stuff forgiveness down your throat. If you don't want it, you don't have to have it. But if you want his pardon, if you want the hope of heaven, if you want to be ready for his return, I'll give you that opportunity to take that next step right now.
Let's all bow our heads for a prayer, if you would. Father, I pray now for everyone here, everyone listening, everyone watching. Lord, I pray that your Holy Spirit will convince them of their need for Jesus and help them to come to you right now and believe. Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying, how many of you would say tonight, Greg, I want my sin forgiven. I want to know with certainty that I will go to heaven when I die. I want to be in this new earth you've talked about tonight. I want to know God in a personal way. Pray for me. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus. If that's your desire. If you want Jesus Christ to come into your life, if you want him to be your savior and your Lord and your friend, would you just lift up your hand right now wherever you are? And I'd love to pray for you. You want Christ to come into your life, lift up your hand and I'll pray for you tonight. God bless you. Lift your hand up so I can see it, please. You want his forgiveness? God bless you. You want this second chance in life? God bless you. Maybe you've done something you know is wrong and you're wondering if God would forgive you. He will. But you must confess your sin and he's faithful and just to forgive you of your sin. Anybody else, raise your hand up right now. You want his forgiveness. You want Christ in your life. God bless you. You want to be ready for his return. Raise your hand up, I'll pray for you. God bless you.
Now I'm going to ask all of you, if you would please and I've raised your hands, I want you to stand to your feet and I'm going to lead you in a prayer right where you are. Just stand up. If you raise your hand with me during that prayer, even if you did not, but you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ, just stand to your feet. We're going to pray together. Anybody else? Stand up now. God bless you. God bless you standing. Maybe you did not raise your hand, but you want to make this commitment to the Lord. Stand to your feet. God bless you. Anybody else? I'll wait another moment. Stand to your feet. Let me pray for you and with you. God bless you guys. One final moment. Anybody else? Stand now.
All right. Now you that are standing, I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. And this is where you're asking God to forgive you of your sin. Again, as I pray, pray this out loud after me. Okay? Pray this after me now, right where you stand. Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. But I know you're a Savior. And you died on the cross and shed your blood for every sin I've ever committed. I'm sorry for that sin. And I turn from it now. And I choose to follow you from this night forward. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.