A Forever Home

We can turn back to our reading in the book of Revelation, chapter 21.

Revelation 21 · chapter mention

! We can read again at verse 3.

! Verse 3 to verse 5 will be our main focus this evening.

Revelation 21 at verse 3.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.

He will dwell with them, and they will be his people.

And God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.

Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more,

for the former things have passed away.

And he who was seated on the throne said,

Behold, I am making all things new.

Also he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

Are you someone who browses property websites when you see a house for sale?

Looking at it and thinking, I wonder what it's like.

Perhaps you've seen a house advertised for sale as you've been driving past,

and you want to know a bit more about it.

How big's the garden out the back?

What's it like inside?

Maybe especially if you know the people who were living in it.

You're wondering about it.

And especially maybe, how much?

How much is it being sold for?

Why do we do that?

Curiosity?

Or maybe we're just nosy.

We just like to know what that place is like.

How much it's being sold for.

Maybe you are interested in buying it.

Maybe you want to show an interest in it that way.

But very often it's just a case of, I just want to see what it's like.

I've done it myself.

I'm sure many of you have as well.

But what about when it comes to inquiring about our eternal home,

our eternal dwelling?

Have you looked into that?

Have you had any thoughts of what kind of place it is?

What it will be like?

Will it be worth going there?

How do I get there?

How much does it cost?

Because here in the book of Revelation,

we find for us an insight into what that place will be like.

We see who will be there.

We see a little of what it will be like.

What kind of place it will be.

And it will be our eternal home.

Our everlasting home.

And how interested are we in that compared to the homes in which we have in this world?

You could say it's described in two main ways for us.

As we look at the forever home, as we could call it.

Two different ways we could describe it.

Not in terms of what it looks like,

but more who will be there.

And especially as we look at it this evening,

we see is God the one that we are looking for?

Because our everlasting home will be one of two different kinds.

A place with God

or a place without God.

That's the way it's described.

It's described in this chapter itself as well.

A place with God

or a place without God.

As we're looking at it this evening,

we want to think about it in that way of a place with God.

God's presence is a wonderful thing.

And it's to have that promise.

We have that promise so often through Scripture

that God will be with his people.

That he is with us always.

But how much do we look for that presence?

How much do we long for that presence?

How much do we always want to know God with us?

Well, if we do.

If we have God as our hope and God as our trust,

putting our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,

we have this hope that at the end of the day,

we will be with him forever.

As Psalm 23 says,

For in God's house forevermore

my dwelling place shall be.

When you consider God's presence,

God's promises in that way of being with his people

in the Old and in the New Testament,

very often as you look at them,

there's a sense of there's more to come.

There's more ahead for us.

And here in the book of Revelation,

we are given an insight into what that more is.

Because as you look through the Old and the New Testament,

you find that where he is with his people,

there is sin,

there is falling away from God,

there is chaos,

there is destruction,

there are all of these things that spoil that relationship with God.

But we are thankful that there is more to come.

The finale,

if you like.

And yet,

as we look at it here in Revelation,

it still really is incomplete to us,

because John,

who wrote this,

couldn't even describe it in a way

that we could fully understand and appreciate.

He was trying to describe the things that he was seeing

as you read on into the latter part of the chapter,

the walls,

the gates,

all of these things,

they're described with precious jewels and pearls and gold

and all of these things.

It's remarkable how it's described.

And yet we can't fully appreciate it.

Neither could John himself.

But what we have is an insight into a place we should long to be,

and a place that we are looking at

with eyes of faith through Jesus Christ.

So we have that hope.

The book of Revelation as a whole is

maybe sometimes a difficult book to follow.

It has many visions and symbolisms

that are often difficult for us to understand.

And sometimes we can just maybe shy away from it.

We can just turn away from it.

But too many people see it as almost just fiction.

Make-believe.

It's just made up.

Like a movie that has a far-off land

that just isn't real.

Yet that's not what it is at all.

As one author describes it,

we are not carried into some never-never land of fancy,

but into the ever-ever land

of God's eternal values

and judgments.

An ever-ever land.

And Revelation chapter 21

Revelation 21 · chapter mention

is a very familiar chapter maybe to many of you.

It's a very comforting passage of Scripture.

You very often hear it read at funerals,

especially funerals of believers,

because there are great comforting words

in this chapter.

And yet despite maybe a familiarity with it,

there's just a sense of awe

because it's indescribable.

What is heaven going to be like?

We don't fully appreciate.

We don't fully understand.

If we could even have an insight

into the greatest palace in this world,

if we were to have a walk around,

even if you went around Buckingham Palace,

for example,

it would be nothing compared to this.

It would be nothing compared to what God has prepared

for his people.

And so John is giving us a little insight.

And he's giving it,

as he often does,

as the Scriptures often do,

in the midst of comfort,

but also warning.

We are told this will be a place of rejoicing

for the Lord's people

with the presence of God there.

But it comes in the midst of warning,

just like it does so often in Scripture.

For example, in Isaiah,

the book of Isaiah,

you have great warnings

throughout the book of Isaiah.

They are going to be taken into captivity.

There is disaster coming upon them.

But in the midst,

you have comforting verses as well,

verses of hope.

So in the midst of Isaiah warning the people,

there's also comfort,

as he says in Isaiah 35, verse 10,

Isaiah 35:10

the ransomed of the Lord shall return

and come to Sion with singing.

Everlasting joy shall be upon them,

upon their heads.

They shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Very similar to the words

that we have in verse 4 here.

So Isaiah is writing in the midst of warning.

Great words of comfort.

And the same could be said

for this book of Revelation as well.

We have these great comforting words

in chapter 21,

but they follow chapter 20, verse 13,

where it says there,

in verse 13,

And the sea gave up their dead who were in it.

Death and Hades gave up their dead who were in them.

And they were judged,

each one of them,

according to what they had done.

This warning,

this warning of judgment

into the deeds that they have done.

But for those who are a people of faith then,

that's what brings us then into chapter 21.

This great hope

of an everlasting place

with God.

A place we will see under three headings.

A place that God dwells.

A place that God dispels.

And a place that God seals.

A place that God dwells first.

We often have that question.

We hear it's a question asked,

whether it's young or old,

doesn't matter what age we are.

What kind of place will heaven be?

Where is heaven?

We don't know all the answers.

We don't know everything for sure.

But in verse 3 to 5,

we are given some insight into that question.

And verse 3 reminds us

that it's a place that God

will dwell with his people.

He is going to be ever present

in this new Jerusalem.

Verse 3 says,

There is a sense of belonging together,

of being together.

A place where God will dwell

ever with his people.

And what he announces here

in Revelation 21

has very much Old Testament language

behind it as well.

The fulfillment of it.

Because often through the Old Testament

you see that phrase,

I will be their God

and they will be my people.

It's repeated a number of times

throughout the Old Testament.

Genesis 17, verse 8,

Genesis 17:8

I will give us an everlasting possession

to you and your descendants after you

and I will be their God.

Jeremiah 32, verse 38,

Jeremiah 32:38

They will be my people

and I will be their God.

It's that constant refrain

that as a people are faithful

towards God,

they will be his people.

He will be their God.

There is this relationship

that is right and that is good.

But in these ones,

it never lasts.

There's no lasting peace.

It comes so often to an end

because of the disobedience

of the people.

They reject him,

they turn away from him

and then the pattern begins again.

But what Revelation is showing us

is a day is coming

when those patterns will stop

and that God will dwell

with his people forever.

And there's reminders of that

in the Old Testament as well.

Ezekiel has a great reminder to us

a number of times in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 37, verse 27, 28,

Ezekiel 37:27

this is looking more

to that eternal nature

of God dwelling.

My dwelling place will be with them.

I will be their God

and they will be my people.

Then the nations will know

that I, the Lord,

make Israel holy

when my sanctuary is among them forever.

So he is reminding them

there will be an eternal dwelling.

And Ezekiel 48, 35,

the last verse of that book

of that vision says,

and the name of the city

from that time on will be,

the Lord is there.

If you were at the prayer meeting

on Wednesday evening,

you will remember that verse,

I hope.

The Lord is there,

Jehovah Shammah.

Shammah.

That's what it means.

One of the names of the Lord

that we looked at.

The Lord is there.

God will dwell with his people.

It's an eternal dwelling.

It's not something temporary,

which is what we have in this world

and what we have always had.

As you go through the scriptures,

whether you're looking

at the children of Israel

in the wilderness roaming around,

in their tents at times,

then cities being made,

villages and towns.

We think of our own island,

how homes have changed

over the year from huts

and small, just stone-built homes

to black houses,

to modern homes that we live in now.

Accommodation,

places we live is always evolving,

always changing.

And yet nothing that we have here

is permanent.

They are always only temporary.

And what we have here

is not just a renovation of something,

it's a new build,

a new heaven and a new earth

made perfect by God.

A place Abraham in the Old Testament

was looking towards,

as Hebrews says,

Hebrews 11 verse 10,

Hebrews 11:10

for he was looking forward

to the city that has foundations,

whose designer and builder is God.

God dwelling with his people.

A prepared place,

as Jesus describes it in John 14.

Let not your hearts be troubled.

Great comfort in these words as well.

Believe in God,

believe also in me.

In my Father's house

are many rooms.

If it were not so,

would I have told you

that I go to prepare a place for you?

Prepared by the Lord himself.

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again

and will take you to myself,

that where I am,

you may be also.

It's a place the Lord desires

his people to be forever.

It is a place that God will dwell

with his people.

Some of you maybe have visited,

the privilege of maybe visiting St. Kilda,

a place I would love to go one day.

Maybe you've seen images

of what it was in the past

if you've not been able to visit it.

Fascinating place,

a place where people lived

in what must have been

very difficult conditions at times.

And yet when you see it,

whether you've been there

or when you see the images of it,

you see it was once a community,

once a village,

once a place that people,

families dwelled together.

But it changed.

Times changed.

It's no more like that.

There's people go out there

to work now.

But it's very different

to what it was.

Same as we look around our island,

we see homes.

We even find places

where villages used to be

but are no more.

And yet they've all got a history

and yet the people

are no longer there.

But is God there?

Yes, he's still there.

He's still wherever his people are.

Times change.

People change.

Places change.

But God doesn't.

And what God has

is a prepared place

for his people.

A place that he will dwell

with his people.

Is that the place

that we are looking for?

Is that the place

that we are longing for?

When our attention,

our thoughts

are so often caught up

in the things

that we have in this world,

let's remember

that there is another place

to come.

A place of God's making.

A place where God will dwell.

And where he longs to dwell

with his people.

When you think of how Jesus

has gone to prepare a place.

We know that he went

to prepare a place

as we were remembering

last Lord's Day

through giving.

Through paying.

We could never

afford this home.

Not just because of

the way it's described

and all its jewels

and gold

and pearls

and all of these things.

We could never afford them.

But more than that,

we could never afford it

in what Jesus

has done for us.

But he goes

to prepare

a place.

So God dwells

in this place.

But we see also,

secondly,

God dispels here as well

in verse 4.

He will wipe away

every tear

from their eyes

and death

shall be no more.

Neither

shall there be mourning

nor crying

nor pain anymore

for the former things

have passed away.

God

dispels.

what does God

dwelling with his people

mean?

We have God

with us here.

But while we are

in this earth,

there's a sense

of

an incompleteness.

not in the sense

that God

doesn't care

for us.

He does.

But an incompleteness

because we are

still sinners.

We are still

in a fallen world.

And because of that,

we are a suffering

people.

But as we put

our trust in God,

we know that he is

concerned for us.

That he has a love

towards us.

And that is

God's desire

is for us

to know

his comfort.

But there is

still

suffering.

We don't need

reminded about

that much

because

we all know it.

We all go through it.

We're reminded

in different ways

throughout this world.

And yet God

still has his people

of concern

for others.

You may have heard

of the dwelling

places in Uganda

an organization

I'm sure many of you

are familiar with.

Looking out for

street children

in the cities of Uganda

like Kampala.

And when you look

at the work

that they do

among orphans,

children who are

abandoned

and out on the street,

they are trying

to give them

a better life

and help them

in their pain,

in their sorrow,

in their loss.

And they are trying

to dispel

that idea

that they cannot

be helped.

The idea

that their lives

are just going

to be always

full of pain.

And they have

behind it,

behind their work

is the scriptures,

the word of God.

Their text

is taken

from Isaiah,

Isaiah 58,

Isaiah 58:12

verse 12.

And your ancient

ruins shall be rebuilt.

You shall raise up

the foundations

of many generations.

You shall be called

the repairer

of the breach,

the restorer

of streets

to dwell in.

Restoration

is behind it.

And their motto

is until every child

has a chest

to rest his head

on and a place

to call home.

That's their longing.

And yet the reality

is that that's not

always what happens.

Tears,

sorrow,

death,

mourning,

crying,

all these things

still happen.

There is still

that sorrow

and sadness.

And the reality

is not just

for the children

of Kampala.

It's for people

far and wide.

Have you read

the bulletin sheet

today for the

Lewis Christian Conference?

The speaker

who's going to be there,

Reverend Dr. Robert Smith.

Paragraph there

says this,

Dr. Smith

has faced

extraordinary

family tragedies.

After losing

his first wife

to lupus,

he subsequently

lost two of his sons.

His oldest son

died of cancer

and another son

was murdered

during a gang attack

at the supermarket

where he was working

that evening.

Tragedy,

sorrow,

grief that many of us

have never experienced

to that extent.

And yet here

he is coming

to minister,

to preach

the gospel.

Because it says

there as well,

Dr. Smith

has spoken publicly

about his grueling

spiritual journey

of processing

this murder,

noting

that he ultimately

chose to extend

forgiveness

to the young man

who shot

his son.

Grace

in the midst

of grief.

God gives us

grace

in this world

as we go on.

But he gives us

grace

preparing us

as his children

for a place

of rest.

A place

where he'd

dispel

all of these

things as described

for us

in verse 4.

It's a wonderful

verse.

He will wipe

away every tear

from their eyes.

There's that

personal nature

to it.

He,

not a servant,

not somebody else,

he will wipe

away every tear

from their eyes.

death

shall be

no more.

Neither

shall there be

mourning

nor crying

nor pain

anymore.

All of these

things

that cause

us grief

and hardship

and sorrow

so often

dispelled.

Dispelled

by him.

Maybe you're

here tonight

as a believer

and you still

have a great

sense of this,

the burden

of this world

upon you.

Sin,

grief,

disappointment.

All of these

things,

because we live

in a fallen

world,

can still

linger with us

and it can

leave us

anxious.

Does it

worry how

you feel

or how it

affects you

on a day-to-day

basis?

Your relationship

with the Lord?

Maybe your

relationship

with others?

Well,

you can come

to God's

word and

find here

comfort.

Comfort

that all

of these

things

will be

dealt

with by

him.

He

will wipe

away every

tear.

He

will dispel

death.

It shall

be no more.

No more

mourning,

crying,

pain.

All these

former things

have passed

away.

Maybe you're

seeking here

this evening.

You don't

believe in

God,

but you'd

love comfort.

You'd love

a sense of

there's better

in this life

and there's

better to

come.

Well,

where is it

found?

It is found

in the Lord

Jesus Christ,

the one

who prepares

a place

for his

people.

And you

can come.

You can

all come.

Believer,

non-believer,

seeker,

wherever you

are this

evening,

you can

come to

these words

and you

can find

comfort in

these words

because they

are great

words.

They are

wonderful

words.

They are

God

speaking.

And you

see here

he is

speaking

with a

loud voice

as it

says in

verse 3.

I heard

a loud

voice from

the throne

saying,

God

is speaking

here.

God is

speaking to

us.

He is

the one

who has

all of

these

things

in his

hands.

He is

the one

who says

he will

dwell.

He is

the one

who says

he will

dispel.

All of

these things

are in

his hands.

And so

we can

look to

him.

We can

put our

trust

in him.

The third

and final

thing we

see here

is that

God

seals.

God's

seal is

on all

of this.

In

verse 5.

And he

who was

seated on

the throne

said,

Behold,

I am

making all

things new.

Also he

said,

Write

this down

for these

words are

trustworthy

and true.

This

comes back

to the

fact that

this is

not a

fairy tale.

This is

not never

never land.

This is

the ever

ever land

of God.

These

words are

trustworthy

and these

words are

true.

God's

seal is

on it.

It is

the word

that comes

from the

throne.

A loud

voice from

the throne

saying,

This is

a royal

seal.

It is

the one

who sits

on the

throne

that

delivers

these

words.

They

are

trustworthy

and they

are

true.

In

Corinthians

Paul

speaks

about

having

been

purchased

through

Jesus

Christ.

2

2 Corinthians 1:21

Corinthians

1

verse

21.

Now

it is

God

who

makes

both

us

and

you

stand

firm

in

Christ.

He

anointed

us,

set

his

seal

of

ownership

on us

and put

his

spirit

in our

hearts

as a

deposit

guaranteeing

what is

to come.

He

has set

his

seal

on

his

people.

When

you are

trusting

in him

he

owns

you.

He

has

ownership

over you

and he

has put

a

spirit

in your

heart

as a

deposit

guaranteeing

what is

to come

which is

what we

have

here.

These

words

are

trustworthy

and

true.

God

will

dwell

with

his

people.

God

will

dispel

all

of

these

things

because

his

seal

is

on

it.

You

maybe

have

heard

of the

royal

seal

of

approval.

If you

look it

up you

find

it's

a

royal

seal

that's

given

to

suppliers

to

the

royal

family

very

often

these

days.

From

chemists

to

chocolate

companies

to

cars

to

clothing

they

grant

the

royal

seal

of

approval.

Well

here

we

have

as a

people

we

are

told

that

God

from

his

throne

in

heaven

puts

his

royal

seal

on

his

people.

Again

in

Corinthians

Paul

describes

it

in

this

way

for

it

is

not

the

one

who

commends

himself

who

is

approved

but

the

one

whom

the

Lord

commends.

The

one

whom

the

Lord

commends.

We

are

approved

by

God.

So

if you

put your

trust

in

him

you

are

approved.

Do

you

want

to

be

in

this

place?

Do

you

long

to

be

in

this

place?

Because

it is

a place

that we

can dwell

eternally

with

God.

Remember

the

alternative

is

without

God.

But

here

we

have

with

God.

The

words

of

Jesus

as he

says

well

done

good

and

faithful

servant.

You

have

been

faithful

over

a

little

I

will

set

you

over

much.

Enter

into

the

joy

of

your

master.

That's

the

words

of

entering

into

his

kingdom,

into

heaven,

into

his

glory

forevermore.

We

can

be

nosy

as to

what

other

people's

homes

look

like.

We

can

look

them

up

online

and

see

what's

around

them,

what's

inside

them,

what's

the

price.

But are

you

as

keen

to

find

out

about

this

place?

To

know

more

of

this

place?

To

realize

the

hope

that

there

is

in

this

place?

When

you go

back to

the

beginning

of the

book of

Revelation

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3,

there's a

verse

there that

says,

behold,

I stand

at the

door and

knock.

So God

is standing

on the

outside of

your

home,

knocking,

wanting

to come

in.

If anyone

hears my

voice and

opens the

door,

I will

come in

to him

and eat

with him

and he

with me.

It's almost

like that

sense of

God wants

to see

where we

live,

where we're

at,

and he

wants to

dwell with

us here.

But then

as you

come to

this

passage,

it's as

if he's

saying,

now,

come and

see where

I live,

come and

see where

I dwell,

and come

and join

me here.

So that's

the way we

see life.

He knocks

at our

door and

wants to

come in

and dwell

with us

here,

that we

might have

that relationship

with him,

that he

might see

our homes.

But he

longs for

us then

eventually

to come

and abide

with him,

to dwell

with him

in his

home,

in the

place that

he has

made,

the place

that he

has

prepared.

What

compares

our home

here

or what

he has

done

for us?

There is

nothing that

will compare

to this

place,

this place

that John

couldn't even

put into

words.

what we

need this

evening is

as Kenny

was saying

to us

this morning

in the

children's

address,

help us

see,

help us

understand

our need

of this

place.

Help us

understand the

way to

this place

that is

through faith

in the

Lord Jesus

Christ,

that as

you put

your trust

in him,

you can

dwell in

this place

secure

forevermore

as Psalm

23

describes.

I think

I have

used this

before,

words of

Richard Baxter,

but I love

just the way

they tie in

with the

whole theme

of heaven.

And I will

leave you

with them

again this

evening as

we think

of how

God

dwells,

how God

dispels,

and how

God

seals

all of

these

things.

Richard

Baxter

once said,

Christ

leads me

through no

darker rooms

than he

went through

before.

He that

unto God's

kingdom

comes must

enter by

this door.

Come,

Lord,

when grace

hath made

me meet,

thy blessed

face to see.

For if thy

work on

earth be

sweet,

what will

thy glory

be?

Then I

shall end

my sad

complaints

and weary

sinful

days,

and join

with the

triumphant

saints that

sing my

Saviour's

praise.

My knowledge

of that

life is

small,

the eye

of faith

is dim,

but tis

enough that

Christ knows

all,

and I

shall be

with him.

is that

what you

want?

Our

eyes of

faith

are small,

our eyes

of faith

are dim,

but surely

it is enough

that Christ

knows all.

Do you

want to

be with

him?

Don't just

be curious

about this

house.

this house

is yours

if you

put your

trust in

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

May you

know the

way to

him and

his dwelling

place with

you now,

but that

hope

forevermore.

Let us

pray.

Lord,

our

gracious

God,

we can

echo

with the

words of

Richard

Baxter

that our

knowledge

of that

life is

small,

our eyes

of faith

are dim,

but help

us to

know that

in Christ

who knows

all we

have enough

and that

we would

have that

hope to

be with

him.

Lord,

we thank

you that

your word

reminds us

that although

there are

many struggles

in this

world,

though there

are many

times of

mourning and

grief,

that it is

also a

world that

is passing

by,

but a

world that

you are

showing us

that is

better to

come,

that is

greater

ahead,

a new

heaven and

a new

earth prepared

for all

your people,

a place

where you

will dwell

with each

of your

people

forevermore.

Lord,

give us

eyes to

see,

as we

ask all

in Jesus

name.

Amen.

We're

going to

conclude by

singing to

God's

praise in

Psalm 73a,

the Sing

Psalms

version,

Psalm 73a.

We'll

sing from

verse 23

down to

the end

of the

psalm.

Psalm 73a,

at verse

23.

Yet I

remain with

you continually,

by my

right hand

you hold

me as

my guide,

you lead

me with

your

counsel to

the end,

and take

me into

glory to

abide.

Psalm 73a,

verse 23,

to the end

of the

psalm.

Psalm 73a,

verse 23,

to the end

psalm.

Psalm 73a,

verse 23,

verse 23,

verse 23,

verse 23,

yet I

remain with

you continually,

by my

right hand

you hold

me as

my guide,

you lead

me with

your

counsel

to

the

end,

and take

me into

glory to

my

life.

In

heaven

room,

how I

and

you

alone,

on

earth

there

is no

one else

whom I

adore.

Oh,

oh,

my

heart,

make

heal

and

pleasure

me.

God

is

my

strength

and

for

shall

ever

go.

Those

who

are

far

from

you

will

be

God

down,

all

those

who

are

unflictful

you

destroy,

all

that I

know

near,

and

sheltered

in my

heart.

I

will

be

torn,

me,

so

Lord,

I

will

revive

with

joy.

after

the

benediction,

I'll

go to

the

door to

my

right.

We'll

close with

the

benediction.

Now may

grace,

mercy,

and

peace

from

God,

Father,

Son,

and

Holy

Spirit

rest

upon

and

abide

with

you

all

now

and

forever

more.

Amen.

Thank you.