All Things New

April 28, 2019
Pastor Clint Ziemer

Audio of the sermon preached on April 28, 2019, at Cable Community Church, Sherrard, IL

Episode Notes

All Things New

Revelation 21:1-5

    He awoke completely refreshed! Waling out into the garden barefooted, he felt its soft, moist texture beneath his feet. The sun was bright.... the birds were singing... his wife stood before him tall, radiant, smiling–full of innocence and playful joy.

There was only joy for Adam and Eve... joy in their play.... joy in their work.... joy in their relationship with each other and with God.

There was no danger... No again... no sickness... No dying... no evil! The will of God was written in the hearts of Adam and Eve. Those who do the will of God are forever blessed, and cannot be touched by any harm what-so-ever!

Adam and Eve wore no clothing. They were innocent, seeing only beauty in each other and within the Garden of Eden. If they had remained pure in God’s will, they and their ancestors--we ourselves!-- would have remained beyond harms way. But disbelief brought disobedience, and the powers of darkness descended like devouring vultures to feast on the corruption of a fallen humanity.

No more perfect protection. No more perfect innocence. After the Fall, Adam and Eve knew that they had sinned and that the consequence of their sin was (and always shall be) death.

    And so things remained, until Jesus.  

    Today we are looking at how things are different since Jesus' resurrection.  We will  learn from the revelation given to John that the end of all things involves a reunion of Jesus and His church in a recreated paradise.  Follow along in today's text, from Revelation 21, as we are reminded that our future includes  ...  

New Creation (v. 1)

New Bride (v. 2),  and...    

New Relationship (vv. 3-5)

  1. Body
    1. New Creation (v. 1)
        1. Things are set right, to the way they were intended
      1. Things made new
        1. John talks of a new heaven and a new earth. Yet it is significant that he speaks of a new heaven and earth rather than a completely different "something else," a "somewhere else" totally divorced from what had gone before. In short, although John wants to speak of newness, he also wants to affirm a continuity with what had been previously. Certainly there is a continuity of the people involved--though also a rather radical discontinuity in their having been resurrected. Just so, John knows that, in spite of what happened to it consequently, God's original creation was "very good"--and God is not about to act now in a way that would deny the fact. Why, even the new holy city is still "Jerusalem"--very different from the old one, of course, but Jerusalem nonetheless. God will make "all things new"--not "all new things."
        2. Isaiah 65:17 -- "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;       And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind."
      2. The old passes away
        1. Rom 8:19-22 -- For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 
        2. John talks of a new heaven and a new earth; but when the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven, the distinction between the two is lost--and thus another element of radical newness is introduced. From here on, the picture will include elements of heavenliness and elements of earthliness--with absolutely no way of extricating the two. Remember: earth was that which actually is but with inevitable aspects of wrongness about it; heaven was rightness but still in process of coming to be; what we have now is the union representing a rightness which actually is--and that is something new!New Bride (v. 2)
        3. We are the bride and, This is what we've been waiting for.
      3. The Church
        1. a holy city
        2. the new Jerusalem
      4. Coming out of the heavens
        1. descending with Christ
        2. John 14:3 -- "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
      5. Dressed for a wedding
        1. eternal
        2. pure
        3. beautiful
      6. Illustration:
        1. A little girl was born blind.  The only beauty she knew came from her mother’s descriptions of flowers in spring, trees in fall, snow in winter, ocean in summertime.
        2. The girl could only imagine, until at 10 years of age, had experimental surgery to help her see.  She wore bandages for several weeks.
        3. Finally, the moment of truth came… Her bandages removed and she saw.  Quickly, she ran to the window and stood breathless.  Then she exclaimed,  “Mother, why didn’t you tell me it was so beautiful?”
        4. Her mother replied,  “I tried to tell you.  I tried, but words just wouldn’t suffice!”New Relationship (vv. 3-5)
        5. This is what God has wanted all along
      7. Proclamation from heaven
        1. While John is beholding the descending city, his attention is diverted by a loud voice—the last time of 21 times that either a “great” or a “loud” voice is mentioned. This is always an indication of an important piece of revelation that is about to be unfolded. It is significant that the last loud voice announces the dwelling of God among men. Though God is the independent God of the universe, He, in His love, longs to dwell among us in order to have fellowship with us and to bless us with His personal care. This ought to touch our hearts and cause us to draw near to Him.
      8. Immanuel - "God with Us"
        1. 2 Cor. 5:6-7 -- "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.  For we walk by faith, not by sight."
        2. “The tabernacle of God is among men …” “Tabernacle” stands for “dwelling place, a place of abode,” or of one’s “personal presence.” And where is that? “Among men.” The word “among” used here and in the next clause is the Greek preposition meta, which is used of association or companionship or fellowship. Note that the verse goes on to emphasize “God Himself shall be among them,” and “they shall be His people,” a result of the other. This verse denotes the most intimate and close fellowship with God in a perfect and unbroken way and on a face-to-face basis. This will be far beyond the knowledge of His presence and indwelling which believers can know today. Today we speak to Him in prayer and He speaks to us in His Word, but then He will be openly and visibly in our midst, personally ministering to our needs. The full scope of this is far beyond our comprehension today. What follows is a result of this personal presence of God in the most personal way among men.The Curse Reversed
        3. tears wiped up
        4. Eliminated
          1. death, mourning and  pain
        5. What began in Genesis is brought to completion in Revelation.
          1. GENESIS REVELATION
          2. 1:1 - heavens & earth created 21:1 - New heavens & earth
          3. 1:16 - Sun created 21:23 - No need for the sun
          4. 1:5 - Night established 22:5 - No night there
          5. 3:14-17 - The curse announced 22:3 - No more curse  [satan, serpent, soil] 
          6. 3:19 - Death enters history 21:4 - No more death
          7. 3:24 - Man driven from paradise 22:14 - Man restored to paradise
          8. 3:17 - Sorrow & pain began 21:4 - No more tears or pain
      9. Illustration —  “Being HERE sick”
        1. A 5 year old girl had never stayed the night with a friend before.  She was nervous, but gave it a try.  She did fine during the daytime, but when it got dark she got nervous in a strange place.
        2. The friend’s mother perceived this: “honey, are you getting homesick?”
        3. With childlike innocence she replied, “no ma’am, I’m getting here sick!”
        4. Romans 8:18 -- "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
  2. Conclusion 
    1. WHY?
      1. By Jack Hyles
      2. I have heard the white-tipped tapping cane,
      3. Which leads a blinded eye.
      4. And then a darkened, lonely voice
      5. Cries, “Preacher, show me why.”
      6. I have caught a fiancée’s burning tears,
      7. And heard her lonely cry.
      8. She held an unused wedding gown,
      9. And shouted, “Pastor, why?”
      10. I have heard the cancer patient say,
      11. “’Tis gain for me to die;”
      12. Then look into his daughter’s face,
      13. And mutely whisper, “Why?”
      14. I’ve heard an orphan faintly say,
      15. Who gazed into the sky,
      16. “Tho Mom and Dad have gone away,
      17. My preacher will know why.”
      18. I have sat beside a tiny crib,
      19. And watched a baby die,
      20. As parents slowly turned toward me,
      21. To ask, “Oh, Pastor, why?”
      22. I tiptoed to my Father’s throne,
      23. So timid and so shy,
      24. To say, “Dear God, some of Your own
      25. Are wanting to know why.”
      26. I heard Him say so tenderly,
      27. “Their eyes I’ll gladly dry,
      28. Tho they must look through faith today,
      29. Tomorrow they’ll know why.”
      30. And so I’ve found it pleases Him
      31. When I can testify,
      32. “I’ll trust my God to do what’s best,
      33. And wait to find out why.”
    2. Sometimes -- most times, we need to wait to know "Why"
    3. While we wait, we have the promise that, in due time, there will be
      1. New Creation
      2. New Bride
      3. New Relationship

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