Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz19981122.htm
PROPHECY OVERVIEW "Part VII: The Believer And The Final Eternal State" (Revelation 21-22)
Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

It is a fact that we live in a world of sinful woe, one that can be draining on us. Consider the following facts that illustrate this reality:

(1) Thomas Sowell, an African-American syndicated columnist, writing in the November 7, 1998 Waterbury Republican-American, explained how hypocritically and unjustly slanted the national media has become regarding just where it expresses moral outrage.

He cited the slayings of homosexual Matthew Shepard and abortionist Dr. Barnett Slepian as examples: though the slayers of these men deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law, the media highlighted its outrage at the wrongoders involved where ha rdly any complaint arose about the slayings of Asian Americans during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. When a 23-year old sawmill worker had his face torn up upon tripping a booby-trap set to a tree by environmentalists to injure sawmill workers, the media hardly noticed. In fact, Sowell reported that "'public television'" even "publicized" a book on how one could use these traps.

In view of the hypocritical distortions of where we are taught to express moral outrage that is so prevalent in the national media, a Christian can become drained in spirit!

(2) Almost every month we hear of someone being put on our Church Prayer Chain due to a life-threatening disease or condition! We are constantly exposed to the challenge of human weakness and sickness, and that can drain us mentally and emotionally as people!

(3) We came close to an armed conflict with Saddam Hussein again on November 14-15 in which, according to the media, nearly 10,000 Iraqi citizens would have died. It was called off at the last moment but some wonder if that tension with Iraq can e ver end!



Is is right to long for a better world, a UTOPIA in which dwells righteous, or not? If so, WHAT will it BE like?!



(We turn to the sermon's "Need" section . . . )



Need: "As a CHRISTIAN, I often feel DRAINED from struggling against the NEGATIVES of our sinful, destructive world, so is it right to hope for a UTOPIA? If so, what will that utopia BE like?"

1. After the Final Great White Throne Judgment, God will have removed SIN and its effects from the universe as we now know it.
1. As we learned last week, following the Messianic Kingdom after Christ's return to the earth (Rev. 19-20:6), God will sit enthroned on a great white throne to judge all unbelievers, Rev. 20:11a, 12-14.
2. All who have not received Christ as Savior will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity with Satan and his evil followers, Rev. 20:15, 10.
3. Because of the final removal of SIN, the old universe that has felt the EFFECTS of that sin will flee away, Rev. 20:11b.
4. In its place, God will create a NEW universe UNAFFECTED and UNASSOCIATED with sin, Rev. 21:1a,b with Isa. 65:17a.
2. This NEW universe will be an absolute UTOPIA for glorified believers, the SOLE human survivors of the OLD universe:
1. First, there will be no more sea on this new earth, the absence of a foreboding boundary which man cannot naturally cross, Rev. 21:1c.
2. Second, the heavenly Jerusalem where the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell, and that had hovered above the earth in the Messianic Kingdom (cf. Jn. 1:51) will then descend to unite with the earth, Rev. 21:2. The Triune God will dwell with believers on the earth like He has NEVER done BEFORE, Revelation 21:3.
3. Third, the Triune God will bless man as follows (Rev. 21:4-22:5):
1. God will eradicate sadness and sorrow from believers, Rev. 21:4a. Of logical necessity, this must mean the erasure from memory of all that would create sadness and discouragement, Isa. 65:17-18.
2. God will remove death and pain from believers, Rev. 21:4b.
3. God will provide an elaborate home for believers as follows:
1. The New Jerusalem will be beautifully and securely built with precious stones, gold and enormous pearl gates, Rev. 21:9-21.
2. The city will be approximately 1,500 cubic miles in size, Rev. 21:16 with Ryrie Study Bible, KJV ftn. Its perimeter will stretch in distance roughly equal to the expanse from Boston to Key West, from Key West to El Paso, from El Paso north to the Canadian Border, and from there back to Boston!
3. There will be no temple in it, for God will be its "temple", 21:22.
4. There will be no sun or moon to illumine the city, for God will provide the light from His own radiant glory, Rev. 21:23.
5. The city will attract the glories of the nations, Rev. 21:24, 26.
6. The place will never be closed up, but be a welcome home with great security for the believer, Rev. 21:25.
7. The city will never see sin, for sin and its great destructiveness will be a thing of the past, Rev. 21:27.
8. God will provide a pure river of life and the tree of life that Adam and Eve failed to use, Rev. 22:1-2a; Gen. 3:24. Its leaves in some way will supply healing for the nations, Rev. 22:2b.
9. In this new universe there will be no more curse on the plant and animal kingdoms, or on man, for sin will not exist there, 22:3a.
10. All believers will continue to serve the Lord in this new universe, a place of great activity, Rev. 22:3b.
11. Opposite the doomed followers of the antichrist, believers will have the name of God forever put on their foreheads, Rev. 22:4.
12. People will not need to sleep in this new universe, for they will not get tired, so there will be no more darkness of night, 22:5a.
13. Believers will reign with God forever and ever, Rev. 22:5b.
14. The believers' neighbors will be fellow glorified saints of all ages, the holy angels and God, Heb. 12:22-23 with Rev. 21:27.
3. God furnished this insight about that utopia as an INCENTIVE for believers NOW to continue obeying Him, Rev. 1:1-3 with 22:6, 12.

Application: REGARDLESS of the draining, discouraging ills of this world of woe caused by sin and its effects, we can afford to be VERY uplifted about a wonderful, final, eternal UTOPIA. To DO so, we must (1) believe on Christ as Savior from si n to have our names written in the Lamb's book of eternal life, Jn. 3:16; Rev. 22:17. (2) Then, God wants us to be ENCOURAGED about our eventual utopian state revealed in Rev. 21-22 so as to keep OBEYING His WORD for eternal rewards, Rev. 1:1-3 with 22: 6, 12. (a) Namely, God urges us unto confession of sins (1 Jn. 1:9) and (b) reliance on the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-23) to (c) be enabled to heed Scripture (1 Jn. 3:1-6). (d) Then we can live by faith, doing His will on this earth for what time we have left in it.

Lesson: For those who put their faith in Christ for salvation, there will be a wonderful, ETERNAL utopia. God has TOLD us briefly about that final state in Revelation 21-22 as an INCENTIVE for us believers to keep living for Him and doing His revealed Biblical will, Rev. 1:1-3; 22:6, 12.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

A number of years ago, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association held a conference in Switzerland for itinerant evangelists of Third World Countries. The purpose of the gathering was to instruct and encourage these evangelists. They often face great pove rty, government opposition and even flagrant persecution as they take the Gospel of Christ on difficult back roads to their lost countrymen.

At one of the conference banquets, a group of these servants of God were sitting down at a table to eat when an evangelist from India stared at the glass pitcher of water before him.

heaven! So, to him, being given the privilege not only of seeing, but even of drinking water "clear as crystal" in this life was a great and edifying privilege from the Lord! It helped with the rest of the conference to encourage this man to work even harder for Christ back in his homeland!



Maybe we are so used to drinking "clear as crystal" water that we might not think to appreciate it as did this Third World evangelist. Yet, we have other needs that oppress us. Some of us are burdened with prolonged sickness, or have a friend or family member afflicted with a serious condition. Others bear so rrowful burdens because of tragic decisions made in the past. Some lack security because of financial or legal burdens. Maybe others dread that their sons or grandsons may one day have to be drafted to fight a dreadful war in the Middle East.

Whatever our lot, God wants us to look FORWARD to that FINAL utopia when it is all over and the dead in Christ are raised! There IS a day of blessing coming, one of final victory, an era of complete utopia! In VIEW this fact, we must believe on Christ as Savior and KEEP living for Him! His reward is with Him, and He is coming to give to every believer rewards according to his life's works!