Heaven on Our Minds

We are in the book of Revelation tonight. Anybody know what chapter?

21, and we're going to look specifically at verses 1 through 8.

You know how we usually do this as we attack a new chapter.

We do the bird's eye view, and then we zoom right on down and break it down even further.

But we're talking about tonight the new heaven and the new earth.

And I guess you could say that we're going to have heaven on our minds, right?

I think of the Toby Mac and the Forrest Frank collab and Toby Mac doing the

songs telling Dakota earlier, you know, that heaven on my mind, on my mind, I got heaven.

All right. So you just think of it. So you'll see tonight how that actually fits in, Brother James.

But verses one through eight of Revelation 21. Then I saw a new heaven and a

new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away,

and there is no longer any sea.

And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God

is among men, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people and

God himself will be among them.

And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there will no longer be any death.

Hallelujah, right? There will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain.

The first things have passed away. And he said, and he who sits on the throne

said, behold, I am making all things new. And he said, right for these things

are faithful. These words are faithful and true.

Then he said to me, it is done. I am the alpha and the omega,

the beginning and the end.

I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

He who overcomes will inherit these things and I will be his God and he will be my son.

But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral

persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars,

their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone,

which is the second death.

Revelation 21, 1 through 8. Let's pray. Father God, I pray you bless us tonight.

Bless this time together in your word, and I pray that you be glorified in Jesus' name. Amen.

You know, throughout history, the history of the church, God's people rightly

have been preoccupied with heaven.

And it gets back to that song, I got heaven on my mind, right?

And they've longed for its joy because they've been only loosely tied to this earth.

They've seen themselves, as scripture says, as strangers and exiles on the earth

who actually desire a better country that is a heavenly one,

it says in Hebrews 11, verses 13 and 16.

Hebrews 11:13

And with the psalmist, they've actually said to God, whom have I in heaven but

you? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth.

Remember this, my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my

heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73, right? And what about this?

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come to and appear before God?

That's Psalm 42. And through the centuries, that desire to see God,

as it talks about in Matthew 5, 8, and to be in his presence and enjoy him forever.

One of my favorite verses, Psalm 16, 11 says, in your presence is fullness of

joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16, 11.

That intense longing that nothing on this earth, y'all, can satisfy.

Talks about that in Hebrews 11.

That has marked believers.

Sadly, that's no longer true for many in today's church, though.

Caught up in our society's mad rush for instant gratification,

material comfort, you think about it, and narcissistic indulgence even,

the church has become worldly in many, many circles.

Nothing more graphically demonstrates that worldliness than the current lack of interest in heaven.

The church doesn't sing or preach much about heaven.

Believers seldom discuss it in some circles. Songs are no longer written as

much, although that's one I just told you about, heaven on my mind.

And books about heaven are few and far between.

Believers who do not have heaven on their minds, though, you know what happens?

They trivialize their life, trivialize their life. They hinder the power of

the church and become absorbed, y'all, you know, with what?

With the fading things of this world.

You know, the Bible makes it clear, y'all, that believers are to focus on heaven. Did you know that?

In Philippians 3.20, Paul notes that our citizenship is where?

In heaven. To the Colossians, he wrote, therefore, if you have been raised up

with Christ, keep seeking things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Wow. That's Colossians 3. James actually rebukes worldliness in no uncertain

terms. Y'all remember this verse.

He says, you adulteresses, do you not know that Friendship with the world is hostility toward God.

Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4.4.

And the apostle John adds this, do not love the world or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, listen to what he says, the love of the father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, listen to it, the lust of the flesh,

the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the father, but is from the world.

The world is passing away and also its lust, but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

That's 1 John 2. So if you think about it tonight, a heavenly perspective is

vital, since everything connected to a believer's spiritual life and destiny is where?

There. And y'all could probably just think about this before we go any further

tonight. man, I'll just tell you, if I didn't have heaven on my mind,

I would have a hard time making it some days. You know what I'm saying?

That's where you get joy. That's where you get joy unspeakable and full of glory.

That's where you don't give up and you keep holding on to God's unchanging hand, right?

Because you got heaven on your mind. That's when you actually get up off your

derriere and you start sharing the gospel with people because you got heaven on your mind.

You're not thinking about the things of this world. You're thinking about eternity

and therefore it causes you to go into action.

You know, I told y'all a while back, you know, some people have coined this

thing that well, you know, they're so heavenly minded that you're no earthly good.

Well, I say you don't read your Bible very well because that points out that

you need to be heavenly minded. Otherwise you are not going to be any earthly good.

That's what takes care of all your laziness, all your excuses.

All of that is when you're heaven minded because all that puts it in its proper place.

And you know, hey, the day is coming soon when Jesus is coming again.

And I need to have heaven on my mind. And I need to get out here and tell people about Jesus.

I need to be serious about serving my king. It changes us, y'all.

It changes our lives. The Father is there. Their Father is there. Our Father is there.

And our Savior, our Comforter, the myriads of our fellow believers who have

successfully run their earthly races here on the earth, it says in Hebrews 12, 23, are there.

Believers' names are recorded in heaven. It says in multiple passages of Scripture,

they are citizens of heaven, Philippians 3, 20.

Their inheritance is there, 1 Peter 1, 4.

And, y'all, their reward, Matthew 5, and treasure, Matthew 19, are there.

Remember that verse, where your treasure is? Every heart be also, yeah?

So in short, everything, y'all, of lasting importance to believers is where? In heaven.

It's our home, and we are strangers, exiles, and pilgrims on the earth,

as it says in the scripture.

Even death, y'all, death, the final enemy it talks about in 1 Corinthians 15,

merely ushers believers into the presence of God. Do you remember?

It says to be absent from the body is to be what?

Present with the Lord. In fact, the words of the preacher in Ecclesiastes 7,

Ecclesiastes 7:1

verse 1, though it's cynical, and pessimistic is still nevertheless true for

the believer. Listen to this.

This might be a good verse to put on your mirror. The day of one's death is

better than the day of one's birth.

Did y'all know that was in the Bible? The day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

His intense longing for heaven led Paul to write these words,

for me to live is Christ and to die is what?

Gain. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ, he said,

for that is very much better in Philippians 1.

Desiring heaven, y'all, exerts a powerful influence on believers' lives,

on all of our lives here on the earth.

In fact, in his first epistle, the apostle John actually described one of the

main reasons Christians desire heaven.

He says, we know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see

him just as he is. That's in 1 John.

And believers will receive glorified bodies. Woo, right?

I mean, aren't you waiting? I mean, come on, glorified body, Brother Ronnie.

Glorified body, y'all. How many of you have some aches and pains or some of

you may chronic pain, right?

Are you looking forward to getting your new body?

Yeah. Glorified body, similar to Christ's resurrected body, in which they will

see him just as he is, it says.

Then John actually gave the practical effect that such knowledge should have on our lives.

This is in 1 John 3, 3, and also referenced in 2 Peter 3, 14. But listen to this.

Everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself just as he is pure.

Do you see what I'm saying earlier about having heaven on your mind rearranges

your priorities in life?

Because according to this verse, you're fixed on him. You purify yourself through

the power of the Holy Spirit, right? Just as he is pure.

A genuine and strong longing for heaven, y'all, I think it has many important

implications and benefits for the Christian, such as a longing is one of the

surest indicators, I believe,

a longing for heaven, one of the surest indicators of genuine salvation.

I really believe that because I mentioned this verse earlier in Luke 12,

34, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

If your treasure is in the right place, that's where your heart's going to be.

And when your heart's in heaven, right, it's fixed on heaven,

boy, It just reminds me of a song. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, right?

Remember that line? And the things

of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

Man, a genuine and strong longing for heaven also produces, y'all,

the highest and noblest Christian character.

Those who actually spend much time meditating on heavenly things,

y'all, they cannot help but have their lives transformed.

Wow. Could it be we're thinking so much about the things of this world?

That's why we find ourselves in the ditch so often, drained,

not experiencing that promise of those who wait upon the Lord.

You know, they'll renew their strength, right? not experiencing always the joy

of the Lord, sometimes because we're so focused on this earth instead of focused where our real home is.

Those who focus on heaven, heaven's glories, longing for heaven,

that joy and comfort that's brought to us in trials.

Anybody had trials in your life? Some of you going through trials now.

Those who focus on heaven's glories can endure anything in this life and not lose their joy.

You believe that? Have you experienced that?

When they suffer, when you suffer, when I suffer, we can say with Paul, listen to this verse,

for momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory

far beyond all comparison. It says in 2 Corinthians 4.

So y'all, a genuine longing, a genuine and strong longing for heaven is also

a preservative, don't miss this, against sin. Did you know that?

Let me say that again. We got some action going on, so let me say it again.

A genuine and strong longing for heaven is also a preservative against sin.

Those who, don't miss this, those who set their minds on things above are less

likely, y'all, to become ensnared by earthly temptations.

Listen to this, for those who are according to the flesh set their minds on

the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit,

the things of the spirit, for the mind set on the flesh is death,

but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace, it says in Romans 8, 5, and 6.

So y'all, that genuine, that strong longing for heaven will also maintain the

vigor of believer's spiritual service.

Your batteries aren't going to burn out, in other words, right?

You ever got that spiritual fatigue in your life before? I think everybody probably

experiences that at some point in their life.

Well, when your mind's in the right place and your heart's in the right place,

guess what? You ain't going to have that. I'm not going to have that.

Those who are negligent in the Lord's work and make it only a token,

a minimal effort to serve him and demonstrate little regard for eternal things.

It's all about this world, things of this world.

Guess what? They foolishly think that the reward for pursuing earthly things,

y'all, is greater than that for pursuing heavenly things.

And y'all, the truth is the only real things that are going to last are eternal

things, not the things of this world.

That's not what's going to last. And finally, I think a genuine and strong longing

for heaven honors God, y'all, above everything else.

Those who actually focus on heaven, focus on the supreme one,

right, in heaven, and by setting their hearts on him, they honor the one whose heart is set on them.

I tell you, scripture actually refers to heaven more than 500 times. Did you know that?

Revelation alone, y'all, mentions heaven about 50 times.

The Bible actually delineates three heavens.

Did you know that? Three heavens.

2 Corinthians 12, 2. The first heaven is, anybody know, the earth's atmosphere.

That's talked about in Genesis 1.20, Job 12, Ezekiel 38. The second heaven is where? Do you know?

Yeah, well, interplanetary and interstellar space, right?

That's talked about in Genesis 15, 22, Deuteronomy 1, and other passages, Isaiah 13.

But the third heaven is the dwelling place of God, the third heaven.

That reminds me of an old Carmen song, the third heaven, right?

But that's talked about in Deuteronomy 4, 1 Kings 8, Job 22, and other passages.

Heaven y'all want y'all to get this tonight heaven

is an actual place not a

state of spiritual consciousness and that's evident because some have gone there

according to scripture in glorified bodies already can anybody think of one

Elijah and what about old remember old Enoch he was not,

He walked with God and he was not, for God took him.

That's Genesis 5, Elijah 2 Kings 2, and the Lord Jesus 2 in Acts 1-9.

And that Christ is presently, y'all, preparing a place for believers and will

one day return to take us to heaven.

We learn about that in John 14, 1 Thessalonians 4.

He offers all further proof that heaven is a place.

The Bible doesn't give a location for heaven, but views it from the perspective of the earth as up.

Know how to know that? Because it talks about that in Revelation 4.1, 2 Corinthians 12.2.

And though heaven is actually far beyond the created world in another dimension,

when believers die, guess what happens?

They will be there immediately. In the sense of Luke 23 and 2 Corinthians 5.8,

those believers actually alive at the rapture will also be transported to where?

Heaven immediately according to first thessalonians 4

and first corinthians 15 so this text

tonight i believe that it unfolds for us

six features of the final and eternal heaven this is where we dive deeper and

called the new heaven and the new earth the appearance of the new heaven and

the new earth the capital of the new heaven and the new earth the supreme reality

of the new heaven and the new earth,

the changes in the new heaven and the new earth, the residents of the new heaven

and the new earth, and also we'll see the outcast from the new heaven and the new earth.

Now, I'm not going to get through all six tonight as we deep dive,

but I hope to get through at least one, maybe two. You ready?

We'll talk about, first of all, the appearance of the new heaven and the new

earth. Look back in Revelation 21.1 again.

It says, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the

first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

That phrase, y'all, kaiethon, it means then I saw, it's used throughout Revelation

to indicate, as we learned the other week, chronological progression, okay?

And it has introduced each of the climactic events beginning with the return of Christ.

We look back, we saw in chapter 19, and chapter 21 opens all the centers of

all the ages, and we talked about this last week, as well as Satan and his demons,

have been sentenced where?

To the lake of fire. That was what we looked at in 10 through 15 of chapter 20,

with all ungodly men and angels banished forever, and the present universe,

we left off with this last week, destroyed.

God will create a new realm for the redeemed and the holy angels to dwell in forever.

In fact, the phrase, a new heaven and a new earth, it derives from two passages in Isaiah.

One of them is Isaiah 65, verse 17. God actually declared, for behold,

Isaiah 65:17

I will create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things will not be

remembered or come to mind.

And then in Isaiah 66, verse 22, he added, For just as the new heavens and the

Isaiah 66:22

new earth, which I will endure before me, declares the Lord,

so your offspring and your name will endure.

That he says, which I make will endure before me, declares the Lord,

so your offspring and your name will endure. In fact, when Isaiah predicted,

what he predicted is now a reality, y'all, in John's vision here right in Revelation 21.

Kynos, Greek for new. It doesn't mean new in a chronological sense,

but new in a qualitative sense.

The new heaven, think about it as you see this passage,

the new heaven and the new earth will not merely succeed the present universe

in chronological sequence, but they will be something brand new, fresh.

Never before seen, y'all. Can you imagine? I mean, even in this fallen world,

a lot of us like, wow, look at the beauty.

Even though it's tarnished in sin, you know, think about what it would look

like if sin hadn't entered the world.

But God is going to do something brand new. New heavens and new earth,

fresh, never before seen.

I mean, that just piques my interest right there, right?

God must create, y'all, a new heaven and a new earth.

Because why? Why? Because as we saw, the first heaven and the first earth have passed away.

God originally created the earth to be suitable as mankind's permanent home. But what happened?

The entrance of sin corrupted the earth and the universe, by the way,

and God's going to destroy it all.

Just as he spoke it into existence, he's going to speak everything out of existence.

What lies ahead for the earth is not a nuclear or ecological holocaust.

But you know what lies ahead? A divine judgment is what lies ahead for the earth.

The Old Testament actually describes the pollution and destruction of the present

universe. Did you know that?

Job 15, verse 15, oh Job, you got to love him, right?

Job 15:15

He declares this, that the heavens are not pure in his sight.

Isaiah 24, verse 5 adds, The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants,

Isaiah 24:5

for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant.

The psalmist actually writes, Of old you founded the earth, and the heavens

are the work of your hands.

Even they will perish, but you endure.

And all of them will wear out like a garment, it says there,

like clothing, you will change them and they will be changed.

In psalm 102 the lord jesus christ y'all

confirmed that old testament teaching when he

declared this heaven and earth will pass

away that's in luke 21 33 so the

first hint of what the new heavens and the new earth will be like comes in john's

observation here in this text look at it that there will no longer be any sea

did you see that that's going to be a startling change isn't it from the present earth?

I mean, think about it. Nearly three-fourths of which is covered by water,

and the sea is emblematic of the present water-based environment that we live in today.

All life on earth is dependent on water for its survival, and the earth is the

only known place, y'all, in the universe where there's sufficient water to sustain life.

But believers, glorified bodies will not require water anymore.

Unlike present human bodies, think about it. Did you know that your blood is 90% water?

And did you know your flesh is 65% water?

So the new heavens and the new earth will be based on a completely different

life principle than the present universe.

Remember, it's fresh. It's brand new, y'all. There actually will be a river

in heaven, not of water, but of the water of life.

That's in chapter 22. You saw here verse 1 and verse 17.

And without a sea, think about it for a minute.

There can be no hydrological cycle so that every feature of life and climate

will be dramatically different than it is now in this new earth, new heavens and earth.

And if you stop and think from a metaphorical perspective, there's been commentators

who actually have seen the absence of the sea as symbolic of the absence of evil.

That doesn't mean they think the water itself is evil but

let me explain because the theologian robert thomas

actually said this he says most justifiably see

this void most justifiably see this void

is representing an archetypical connotation

in the sea listen to what he says a principle

of disorder violence and unrest that marks

the old creation it is not that

the sea is evil in itself he said

but that its aspect is one of hostility to

mankind for instance he says the

sea was what stood guard over john in his

prison on patmos and separated him from the churches of asia the sea is the

first of the seven evils that john says will no longer exist the other six being

death mourning weeping pain the curse and night.

That's from his commentary, an exegetical commentary there on the book of Revelation.

And then that brings us to the next section. And I think we can get through

this fairly short. The capital of the new heaven and the new earth.

Let's read on here in verse two. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

Don't you love it? But, you know, as the next stage in his vision unfolds, the apostle John,

y'all, moves from a description of the new heaven and new earth in general to

a description of the capital city of the eternal state.

And since the text here, it plainly identifies it as such, right?

There's no reason to doubt that the holy city he speaks of here,

New Jerusalem, is an actual city.

The New Jerusalem is not heaven.

But heaven's capital, okay? And it's not synonymous with heaven because its

dimensions are actually given in chapter 21 here, verse 16, that we're gonna see soon.

But it will be the third city named Jerusalem in all of redemptive history.

The first is what? The historic Jerusalem, the city of David, right?

Which currently exists where? In Palestine.

Scripture repeatedly calls it the holy city because why because it was set apart

for whose purposes for god's purposes right the second jerusalem will be the

restored jerusalem where christ will rule during the millennial kingdom that

we studied about recently,

But the new Jerusalem we see tonight doesn't belong to the first creation,

according to scripture.

So it is neither the historic city nor the millennial city, right?

It is altogether a new eternal city, just like the new heavens, the new earth.

It's a city, a new city, new Jerusalem.

The old Jerusalem in ruins for 25 years when John received this vision,

y'all, it's too stained with sin, too much a part of the old creation to actually

survive in the eternal state.

The New Jerusalem is called the Holy City. Why?

Because everyone in it is holy.

Listen to this in verse 6. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the

first resurrection. Wow!

Concept, y'all, of a city. Think about it for a minute. It includes relationships,

activity, responsibility, right?

Unity, socialization, communion together, cooperation together.

And unlike the evil cities of this present earth, the perfectly holy people

in the new Jerusalem will live and work together in perfect harmony.

Wow. You got heaven on your mind tonight?

In his vision, John saw the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

It's architect and builder.

This is talked about in Hebrews 11. The implication here is that it already exists, y'all.

A truth that's actually reinforced in Hebrews that we studied a good while back.

Hebrews 12, 22 through 23, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the

living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,

and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born

who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits

of the righteous made perfect.

Lines up perfectly here with Revelation, doesn't it? All of heaven is currently

contained in the new Jerusalem.

It's separate from this present universe, right?

Which is tainted by sin. And believers who die go to the heavenly Jerusalem.

Where Jesus is gone, as it says in John 14.

Us to prepare a place for us. Wow, I got heaven on my mind.

But when God creates the new heaven, y'all, and the new earth,

the new Jerusalem will descend into the midst of that holy new universe, as we see in verse 10.

And it will serve as the dwelling place of the redeemed for all eternity.

That's you and me. And since the throne of God will be in the new Jerusalem,

which will come down to the earth, to the new earth, that city will be the bond

between the new earth and the new heaven.

And if you stop and look at it here, further describing heaven's capital city,

John notes something else about it.

Look in the text. It was made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

City, y'all, is pictured as a bride because it contains the bride and takes on her character.

The imagery, y'all, is drawn from a Jewish wedding, if you will,

which typically had three parts, okay? We'll do this quickly.

First was the betrothal, right? Which was like a modern engagement,

except it was more legally binding.

And then the betrothal of the Lord's bride took place in eternity past when

God pledged to his son a redeemed people.

And the next stage was the presentation, a time of celebration,

feasting that leads up to the actual wedding ceremony, right?

And the presentation of the bride took place following, do you know when?

The rapture of the church, when believers are taken to heaven.

And the third stage of the ceremony. Are you getting excited?

Which for the Lord's bride here began at the marriage supper of the lamb.

That was back in chapter 19.

And it stretched through the millennial kingdom that we studied.

But the final stage was the consummation, which corresponds y'all to the eternal state.

John saw here in this passage, look at it.

The bride adorned for her husband.

Because y'all, it was time for the consummation adorned is from the verb cosmeo

some of you may be thinking ahead just hearing that cosmeo means to order or

to arrange and the related noun cosmos.

Translated adornment is the root of the english word you may know cosmetics.

Cosmetics. Cosmeo, right? The bride has become, in other words,

appropriately ordered in all her beauty.

And by this point in Revelation, the bride concept here, it actually expands

to include not only the church, as it has since Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2 · chapter mention

but also the rest of the redeemed from all the ages who live forever in that eternal city.

Wow, y'all. This is the moment described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15,

1 Corinthians 15:28

verse 28. Hold on to your seats.

When all things are subjected to him, then the son himself also will be subjected

to the one who subjected all things to him so that God may be all in all.

I think that's a good place to stop tonight. And next week, we'll pick up with

the supreme reality of the new heaven and the new earth as we pick back up in verse 3.