Turn back with me to John 19. Every single thing that happens
is according to purpose. According to purpose. And you know how often we say
that? You know how often we forget that, so you know how often we
say it again. Do you believe that to be true?
Really? Are you settled on that as a
fact of God? Every single thing that happens
is according to purpose. That's a fact, right? How many times a day really do
we forget that fact? A day! I'll tell you how many
times I forget it. I forget it every single time
something happens that I don't want to happen. Every single
time. This is not going like I wanted
it to. Maybe not. But do you know how
it is going? According to purpose. It's going
according to purpose. Mankind fell in the garden according
to purpose. Isn't that something? Why? I don't know. Other than for
the glory of God. God knew he would fall. He said,
in the day, that you eat thereof. He knew he would eat it. In the day that you eat thereof,
thou shalt surely die. And because we died, God purposed
a purpose. Because we died, he purposed
a purpose and it's a great purpose. Great. It is a grand scheme. The whole scheme. By way of man,
it is an impossible scheme. It's a design that is too deep
to measure. How could you possibly measure
the purpose of God according to election? How could you measure
that, understand that? It's a design too mysterious
to understand. Really. A purpose only God can purpose.
And it has an outcome that only God could accomplish. That's it. John 19 verse 30 says
this, When Jesus therefore had received
the vinegar, He said, It is finished. An eternity of purpose from the Father, the Son, and
the Spirit. An eternity of design, a complex,
the simplicity of Christ, but the work is complex. An eternity of design by the
Father, Son, and Spirit. an eternity of communication
between the Father, Son, and Spirit, culminated and celebrated in
three words. It is finished. Celebrated. I was thinking about
That moment, we just read this holy moment, the center of the
universe, the center of time, the center of the calendar, the
center of life, this moment you just read about, the things the angels desire
to look into. What do you think happened in
glory? What do you think happened in
glory? when all the angels, and all the hosts of glory, and the
cherubims, and the seraphims, they were all watching the Lord
Jesus Christ hang there on that cross. What do you think happened when
He looked up to His Father as He hung there, and in glory and
in honor said, It is finished? Heaven erupted. Victory! If the angels erupt with joy
over one sinner that repenteth, what do you think happened when
total redemption took place? Heaven has won. Christ is the
victor. Death is dead. Complete salvation. Complete justification. Complete
sanctification. Holiness. Righteousness. Redemption in three words. It
is finished. The whole of the gospel told
in three words. That's the gospel. It is finished. It. What was he talking about? What is finished? Go back to
John 17. John 17 verse 4 says, I have
glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work. which thou gavest me to do."
What work did God give him to do? What was the work? Here is the work. It's everything
that God the Father purposed to be done. Everything. All of it. The Son's work is
the Father's will. Whatever He wills and whatever
He purposes, that's what the Son is going to do. And even though we can't measure
it, and even though we can't fully understand it, our God
has revealed the mystery of His will and purpose. And it's an amazing one. It's
amazing. As I studied this, I was amazed. It's amazing. The purpose He
made from the foundation of the world, They say, God has a wonderful
plan for your life. No, He doesn't. He has an amazing purpose for
His elect. An amazing purpose. There is
something that He has willed to happen. And we're going to
see what it is. Turn with me over to 2 Peter
chapter 3. 2 Peter 3 verse 10 says, But the
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, into which
the heavens shall pass away with a great noise. That's the stars
and the planets that God made. And the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein
shall be burned up. This earth is going to be burned
up. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth, didn't
He? And He created it for the purpose of being burned up. Isn't that something? I am grateful. I am so grateful for our house
and that .47 acres that we have. I am thankful to have that. The
Lord has provided it, but it's just going to burn up. That's
all it is. It's just going to burn up. And there's only one thing that's
going to last. One thing. Our God has purposed
to destroy this heaven and earth because of sin. He knew Adam
would rebel. But God has purposed, look at
verse 11, it says, seeing then that all these things shall be
dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation
at godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the
day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, nevertheless, We,
according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness. God has purposed to create a
brand new heaven and a brand new earth. And He's not going
to allow any sin to enter into it. I, years ago, had moments
of weakness and I hope I don't ever have them again, where my
mind couldn't help but think, I hope sin doesn't creep into
heaven and ruin that. It cannot happen. It's not going
to happen. No sin will be allowed to come
in. It's going to be a place wherein
dwelleth righteousness. What is righteousness? It's not
a what, it's a who. Christ is our righteousness. Our God made this earth and He
did not purpose to live on it. He does not live here on this
earth with us. But He has purposed to make another one and He lives
on it. He's going to live on the earth. Isn't that amazing? Righteousness dwells there. Go
over with me to Revelation 21. Can you imagine living in a place
where Christ lives? Revelation 21 verse 1 says, 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. And
I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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." God Himself is going to live with us. Verse 4 says, "...And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes." There will be zero sadness
there. "...And there shall be no more
death, a flower won't die." Neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne
said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write,
for these words are true and faithful. He said, Write, so
John wrote. And then he has commanded his
preachers to preach. So they preach. And he says,
preach it because these things are faithful and they are true. It sounds too good to be true,
doesn't it? It sounds too good to be true, but it's true. It's
true. A new heaven, that new heaven
is actually in that new earth is already finished. It is finished. Our loved ones who believe the
Word of God and called and chosen, they're already on it with Him. It's finished. God has revealed
His purpose in that to us. Now let's see what else He's
purposed. Go with me to Genesis 15. Genesis 15 verse 5 says, And
he, the Lord, brought him, Abraham, forth abroad, and said, Look
now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number
them. And he said unto him, So shall
thy seed be. Those who believe the truth in
God's Word those whom the Lord has given eyes to see the truth,
they're used to small numbers. You know that? Small numbers,
just a few sheep here and a few sheep there. That's how God purposed
it to be on this earth. He said, I'll make a remnant.
But that's not God's purpose for the new earth. He is purposed to put a multitude
of people there which no man can number. A multitude of people. And it's
going to be happy. And it's going to be safe. Totally safe. And the reason
is because everybody there is going to be just like Jesus Christ.
And everybody there is going to act just like Jesus Christ. Can you imagine? That's God's
purpose. It's amazing. It's wonderful. Now God's purpose on this is
very specific. Genesis 15 verse 5 says, And
He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven,
and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. And He said
unto him, So shall thy seed be. Go with me to Genesis 22. Genesis 22 verse 17 says, that
in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which
is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of
his enemies. He's talking about a particular
people, right? And he's not talking about every
single person born to Abraham. I want to show you this. This was
an eye-opening moment for me. Go with me to Galatians 3. Galatians 3 verse 16 says, "'Now
to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not,
and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which
is Christ.' The Lord was talking about Christ. That's who He was talking about.
The promise was purposed to Christ. All things have been delivered
into His hand, right? He's the one who the promise
was made to. God the Father promised for Christ
to inherit this new heaven and this new earth. So where does
the great multitude come from which no man can number? That
multitude is every person that God the Father has put in Christ. It's all purposed to be given
to Him. And every person in Him is going to inherit this new
heaven and this new earth. Now if that's true, and it is,
here's what I want to know. Who did God put in Christ? Hebrews 2.16 says, you don't
have to turn, it says, For verily He took not on Him the nature
of angels. Isn't that something? He didn't
take on the nature of angels. He didn't purpose to put them
in Christ. I felt so sorry for the angels. Say, well, they don't need to
be put in Christ. Oh, they do. Listen to this. This is Jude 6. And the angels which kept not
their first estate, but left their own habitation, the ones
who sided with Lucifer and rebelled against God, It says, "...he
hath reserved an everlasting chains under darkness unto the
judgment of the great day." They fell just like I fell. But He
didn't take on Him the nature of angels. He didn't repurpose to redeem
them back to their original state. Paul wrote, "...Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners." Just like you and me. And as
I say this, I think, why us? This wonderful news, why us? It was God's purpose. It was God's purpose. It's amazing. He purposed to put sinful man
in Christ. Absolute mystery. That is an
absolute mystery, isn't it? God will have nothing to do with
sin. Nothing. That's what God purposed. He said, I will have nothing
to do with sin. He Himself said, He will by no means. All this was accomplished by
means, right? He said, He will by no means
clear the guilty. That's what He said. So go with
me over to Job chapter 9. Job 9, verse 2 says, "'I know
it is so of a truth, but how should man be just with God?' Look at Job 15, verse 14. He said, "'What is man, that
he should be clean? And he which is born of a woman,
that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in
his saints, yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How
much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity
like water." Look at Job 25. Verse 4 says, How then can man
be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is
born of a woman? Behold, even to the moon, and
it shineth not, yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How
much less man that is a worm, and the son of man which is a
worm." Can you say that about yourself? I'm a worm, a maggot. How can man be justified with
God? That's impossible with man. That's
too deep to measure. That's too mysterious to understand. But this is what Christ said. Look unto me. I am a just God and a Savior. God will by no means clear the
guilty. And the only way man could be
guiltless was if God became man. So Christ said this, He said,
Lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it
is written to me, I'll do it. I will do it. I'll fulfill all
the righteousness you need. I'll fulfill all the justice
God demands." And as he hung on that cross, knowing the purpose
of God, all the purpose of God, that all whom the Father chose
should dwell with them on this new earth. Knowing that with
His own stripes, they were all healed. He looked up at His Father. And with great delight and great
satisfaction, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head
and gave up the ghost. Purpose fulfilled. All the purpose
of God fulfilled. If we ever learn something about
purpose, we'll learn something about God, won't we? Everything
happens on purpose. Well, let's ask this question.
How can we know that God's purpose has been fulfilled? How can we
know, really know, that it is finished? And the work truly is complete. How can we know? Go with me to
Acts 13. Acts 13 verse 29 says, And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree,
and laid Him in a sepulcher. But God raised Him from the dead. And He was seen many days of
them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are
His witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad
tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
God hath fulfilled the same unto us, their children, in that he
hath raised up Jesus again, as it is also written in the second
psalm, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. How can we know His work is finished? God raised Him from the dead.
Finished. He was sent here to this earth
to do this work on this earth. And His disciples all watched
Him ascend right back up to glory. He is finished. The work is finished. You know
where He is right now? seated on His throne. Why is He sitting down? It's
finished. It is all finished. All the purpose
of God is finished. Best news I know. That is the
best news I know. I pray the Lord will bless His
Word. Let's stand together.