Revelation chapter 21. Happy New Year. I was thinking about this. It's
the first day of a new week. It's the first Sunday of a new month.
It's the first Sunday of a new year. It's the first Sunday of
a new decade. And this time of the year, we
start thinking about newness. And we kind of get a, kind of
feels like starting new at this time of the year, but there is
coming a day, there is coming a day when truly all things shall
be new. Revelation 21.5, He that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new. Who's speaking? This is the eternal
Son of God. This is King Jesus. He says, Behold, I make all things
new. What things? All things. All things. The first thing he
says is a new creation. A new creation. Look at verse
1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. Peter says the day of the Lord
will come as a thief in the night. in which the heavens shall pass
away with great noise and the elements
shall melt with a fervent heat the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up." He said, nevertheless, we according to his promise look for a new heavens and a
new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." Now, Peter said, what manner,
what manner of man ought we to be? Looking diligently, looking
for that day, waiting on that day, diligently. And he says
here, and there was no more sea. The sea in Revelation 13.1 is
where the beast rose up out of, symbolic of Antichrist. The heads on the name of the
beast were blasphemy. They came up out of the sea.
And he says, Revelation 15, the harlot, Antichrist religion,
sat upon the waters. And he said, and the waters are
peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. But in this new
creation, this new heavens and this new earth, there'll only
be one people. One people. There'll be one nation
called God's holy nation. There'll be one language. They'll be speaking one language.
It'll be holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole
earth is full of His glory. Look at Revelation 21-27. There shall in no wise enter
into it anything that defileth. That's what we're talking about
when we say no more seed. Nothing that defiles. Neither
whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which
are written in the Lamb's book of life. That's who it's going
to be. A new heavens and a new... You
just think on that. A new earth and a new heavens. No briars, no scars of sin, no
thorns, nothing. And a new heavens. The Lord will make a new heaven.
We've defiled that too. As far as we've been able to
go, we've corrupted everything. Left our mark on everything.
He's going to make a new heaven and a new earth. He says, Behold,
I make all things new. All things new. Here's the second
thing He says. A new Jerusalem. A new Jerusalem. Verse 2, And I, John, saw the
holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Now this city, is
the city of the Lord's people. It's made up of the citizens
of God's choosing. It's made up of those that have
been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, made up of those who've
been sanctified by the Spirit of God through the preaching
of the Gospel, called out. It's made up of those who trust
Christ the Lord. And notice here it says this
is holy, it's new, and it's coming down out of heaven. Be looking
over at Philippians chapter 3. Hold your place right here. When
our Lord returns again, He's going to come together with all
the saints, the spirits of just men made perfect. And those who are in the graves,
their bodies shall be joined to be united with the spirits
of those just men that are made perfect, and those who yet remain
and are alive at his coming, they'll be changed in the twinkling
of an eye, glorified. Look at what Paul says here.
Now, when you think of this city, we're not thinking of the city
or the citizens. We're talking about the people
of the city. It's the church of God, it's His people. Look
here, Philippians 3.20, Paul said, Our conversation, he means citizenship,
our conversation is in heaven. From whence also we look for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body
that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body. according
to the working whereby he's able even to subdue all things unto
himself." Now, look with me back there at Revelation. He says
here this bride, or this new Jerusalem, is prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. And we talked about this a little
bit Thursday night, fellas. You remember I was married in a little bitty
building down there in Walkers Creek, Arkansas, where Brother
Darwin Pruitt is a pastor now. And everybody was sitting there on
each side of the aisle, and I was so nervous. My collar felt like
it was tight before I got in there, and then after I got in
there, it just got tighter and tighter. But the music started
playing and everybody stood up and I saw the most beautiful
sight I ever laid my eyes on. A bride adorned for her husband. Well, the glory of this bride Every church, every believer
individually who makes up this new Jerusalem is our God, our
Husband, our Lamb. Look over at Revelation 21.9. Revelation 21. There came unto me one of the
seven angels, which had the seven vows, full of the seven last
plagues. And he talked with me, saying,
Come hither, I will show thee the bride. the Lamb's wife. And He carried me away in the
Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city,
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having
the glory of God. In her light, was likened to
a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Now you see that glory, the glory,
the lamb's wife, the bride, the glory like a jasper stone? Now
look back with me at Revelation chapter 4. Mark that jasper stone,
it was like a jasper stone, the glory of this bride. Revelation
4, 2. He said, immediately I was in
the Spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat
on the throne. God said, I have set my King
in my holy hill of Zion. Now look what he looked like.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone. a Jasper stone. This is the Lamb. This is the glory of God, the
light of this, this adorned, this one who's been adorned,
this holy Jerusalem, this new Jerusalem, this bride, this church
of Christ. Every individual citizen who
makes up that city, the glory, your glory, my glory, is the
Lamb. It's God, one with Him. Look over at Look over at Ephesians
chapter 5. Scripture says in Isaiah 54,
he says, Thy maker is thine husband. The Lord of hosts is his name.
Thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole
earth shall he be called. Ephesians 5 verse 25. Husbands, love your wives. even as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for it." Christ loved the church and gave
Himself for it. He is the Lamb, the Lamb of God
who gave Himself for His bride. Now watch this, that He might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.
We looked this morning at Naaman dipping in the Jordan seven times. Here he is. Here's Christ washing,
cleansing by the washing of water by the Word. Look now, this bride
was adorned, this city was adorned as a bride for her husband. He's
the husband. He's the one who adorned her.
And He's the one that presents her to Himself. Look at this.
That He might present it to Himself. A glorious church. Not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be
holy and without blemish. Look down at verse 30. For we're
members of His body, of His flesh, of His bones. The same John,
the same glory. John saw when he looked at the
throne as a jasper stone was the glory with which the citizens,
this holy city, this bride adorned, this city adorned as a bride
for her husband was the same glory it had. Why is that? We're
members of his body, of his flesh, of his bones. This is why a man
shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife
and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery. Well,
explain that to me. I wouldn't even try to. This
is a great mystery. But I speak concerning Christ
and the church. I have greatly rejoiced in the
Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God. Why? For He hath clothed me.
He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He hath covered
me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself
with ornaments, and a bride adorneth herself with jewels. He's done
it. He's done it all. So there's
going to be a new heaven and a new earth. If you can enter it, like this
one here, but without sin. Without any evidence of sin,
without any effects of sin whatsoever. And there's going to be a new
people there, a new Jerusalem, a new Jerusalem. Holy people
joined together, come down from heaven, perfected, glorified. And there's going to be a new
communion, new communion. Look at verse 3. And I heard
a great voice out of heaven saying, Revelation 21.3, And I heard
a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be
his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God." Now, right now, in the midst
of this world of tribulation that we're in, the Lord said
in this world you shall have tribulation. There's nothing
surprising. He said, we're going to have
it. But He said, be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. And
He's promised us that He's going to dwell in our midst. And He does. He dwells in our
midst by the Spirit of God right now. Right now. He said that
wherever He's gathered two or three, in His name. He's going to be there in the
midst of them. He's dwelling in the heart of
His people. You are the tabernacle of God,
believer, and you dwell in Him. And He gathers His people and
He meets in the midst of His people through the Spirit. But
you think about this thought. Just think on this. God is going
to dwell in our midst, we're going to see him with these eyes,
face to face. And we'll be together forever
and forever. Nothing to break it, this union. Nothing to break this bond. Nothing to come but nothing. that will be able to turn us
aside or interrupt, just uninterrupted communion forever with our God. Perfect conformity to Christ. How about this? Perfect commitment
to Christ. Won't that be something? That'll
be something new. Look at this in verse four, and
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. I, you know,
I like to, I like to just look at this as
literally as I can look at it. My God, literally, taking his
hand and wiping the tears from my eyes. Is that too real? How can it
be that real? And there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. for the former things are passed
away. The former things are passed
away. These are all the former things.
There's no more sea, no division of any kind, no blasphemy, nothing
that defiles. No more death. No more sorrow. No more crying. No more pain. These are These
are the result of sin, and there'll be no more sin. No more sin. Look over at Revelation 21, 22.
And I saw no temple therein. No temple. Why? For the Lord
God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the
sun, neither of the moon to shine in it. For the glory of God did
lighten it, and the lamb is the light thereof. And the nations
of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. And
the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.
And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day. Why? Because there's no night there.
We lock up the doors at night. Keep out the thieves and robbers. Gates will just be left open.
Why have to lock your doors here? And they shall bring the glory
and honor of the nations into it. Look over at chapter 22, verse 3. There shall
be no more curse, no more curse, but the throne of God and of
the Lamb shall be in it. and his servant shall serve him,
and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their
foreheads, and there shall be no night there, and they need
no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth
them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. I was thinking about this this
week. You know, we, the more we have something, the more we
take it for granted. Electricity went out, I believe
is what happened. I went scrambling around trying
to find matches and a candle. I got that lit. I only had one, just that candle
and that light. I I walked around everywhere I
went, I had to carry that candle with me, you know. You know how
when electricity goes off or whatever. And I began to think,
I thought, you know, we take for granted light. We just walk
in and flip a switch on and we got light. And I thought, oh,
Lord, don't let me take for granted the light. You've given, you're
the light. Everywhere I go, I want that
light. You know, the difference is,
I walked around with that candle, sheltering that light and trying
to protect that light from going out. This light is covering us
and protecting us and keeping us from going out. We're the
candle. We're the one that's been lit.
He's the light. He says, the former things are
passed away. We say about our loved one, they
passed away. Believers are passing away. All
these former things are passing away. Believers living forever
and ever with the Lord. These things are passing away. By His grace, they're passing
away. Here's the fourth thing he says. He gives us some assurance
on these things, because you know, as we sit here and listen
to these things, in our wisdom and, you know, so-called, in
our understanding of things, we explain
things away, and we question things away. But he says to John,
look at verse 5, he, Revelation 21, 5, and he that sat upon the
throne said, Behold, behold, I make all things new. And he
said something else, God who cannot lie said, Right, for these
words are faithful and true. Aren't you glad he said do that?
You got it. We got it right here. He wrote
it and we got it. God said, He took him up and
He showed it to him, to John, and He spoke these things to
him. He said, Now behold, I will make
all things new. And He said, Now, write it down. Write it down. These sayings
are faithful and true. God who can't lie confirms this
with an oath. He's doing, He's making all things
new. He's doing it. And it's written. He's got it written. And He's
given it to John. And John is declaring this to
us, and I'm declaring this to us, and we declare this to each
other. We got the witness, the witness
of our God. He says, this is faithful and
true. He who's faithful and true said,
this is faithful and true. And he said, verse 6, he said
unto me, it is done. It is done. Now he's saying,
I will, but he says here, present tense, it is done. It is done. Look at Revelation 1, 19. Don't,
let's don't forget we're talking about an eternal God, teaching
us about eternity. in terms that you and I can try
to understand as being creatures of time. He says it's done. Look at Revelation 119. Write
the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and
the things which shall be hereafter. He has saved us. Brethren, He
has saved us. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places, according as he chose us in Christ
before the foundation of the world, having predestinated us
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself, that
we'll be holy and without blame before him in love. He hath saved
us. Christ came by his own blood,
And He hath obtained eternal redemption for us. He entered
in once. He made one offering. He hath
obtained eternal redemption for us. He said, it is finished. And He's saving each of His children.
He is saving each of His children. Everyone that He everlastingly
loved, everyone that He eternally redeemed, shall be called by
the Spirit of God through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the
truth, whereunto He called you by our gospel." They'll be called. These are faithful and true sayings. It's done. Nobody can stop it.
It's done. And we're kept by the power of
God unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
kept by the power of God through faith. His faithfulness, through
faith in His faithfulness, unto salvation, ready, ready to be
revealed in the last time. It's done. And He shall save
us in the dispensation of the fullness of time. He hath gathered
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven
and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, predestinated according to the
purpose of him that works all things after the counsel of his
own will. I like when the God of all grace
tells us that he will make all things new and speaks of all
things. I like that, don't you? What
does that leave for me? To trust him with all things.
That's a load of burden off of our back, isn't it? Who is this talking? Look back
there at Revelation 21.6. He said, I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end. I am. I am. That's who we're talking about.
The great I am. What all did he... How's he the
beginning and how's he the end? He planned the salvation of His
people. He purchased the salvation of
His people. He performed the salvation of
His people. He preserves the salvation of
His people. He perfects the salvation of
His people. And only He shall receive the
praise. of the salvation of His people.
He's the beginning and He's the end. Salvation is of the Lord. It is of the Lord. Look what He says now, verse
6, I will give unto Him that is a thirst of the fountain of
the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things and I'll be His God and He shall be my Son. Who's gonna be thirsty for the
fountain of the water of life? Every single one that he wrote
in the Lamb's Book of Life before the world began. They're gonna
be thirsty. Are you thirsty? Are you thirsty? I'm thirsty. This fountain. This fountain. This water. This life. Thirsty. I'm drinking now. Aren't you? You're drinking.
We have this fountain of life in us by His grace. Aren't you
thirsty? Aren't you thirsty? Don't you
want to just drink, drink, drink, drink? He says, I will give unto him
that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Freely. We saw this morning with
Naomi, you can't bring anything. Can't bring any money. Can't
bring any price. Can't come with... It's all done. He said it's done.
It's purchased. All that's left for you to do
is drink freely. Freely. I will give. That's a gift. I will give. Unto him that's
a thirst the fountain of the water of life freely And he says
here he that overcometh shall inherit all things he said I
Have overcome the world you believe him How am I going to overcome Believe
him He said I have I've overcome the world How am I going? Faith relies solely upon Him
who has overcome and shall deliver me safely, just like He said
He will. Just like He said He will. And He said, and he that overcometh
shall inherit all things. He just keeps on talking about
these all things. I like that. And look at this, I will be his God and he shall
be my son. Art, you think about, you think about your sons. They're yours. You're their father. You're their daughter. She's
yours. You men that have daughters,
they're yours. You're their God. They're provider. They're protector. They're salvation. They're all. He said, I'll be your God. You're all. And you won't be
a servant. You won't be competing. You'll be a son, a child, His
child. Now He says these are faithful
and true sayings. Behold, he says, I make all things
new. Can we rejoice in that? You know,
this year is not going to be very long. And our resolutions
are going to kind of turn into what they are. And having this confidence You
know what that word means? Resolute. Steadfastly minded. Grounded. Having this spirit
of promise in our hearts, knowing, knowing that when this year,
if the Lord tarries and He doesn't return, if this year turns out
to be like last year, I'm sorry I said that, I just
saw some people kind of gasp. Well, they're light afflictions, but
for a moment. We're going to, we might not,
maybe they're too fresh to know it now, but they are. And they'll work for us a far
more exceeding weight of glory. because they turn us to look
to Him who makes all things new. Find our rejoicing there and
be ever more weaned from this sin and corruption below. Whatever
it is, whatever it is, I pray now we'll come and rejoice in
Him.