The Eternal City Of God

It brings a lot to us that we get financial support,

and we really, really appreciate your prayer support as well.

And you can ask Kayla for her blog after church,

so you guys can all read it.

All right.

So, Psalm 87.

He has set his foundation on the holy mountain.

The Lord loves the gates of Zion

more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are said of you, O city of our God.

I will record Rahab and Babylon

among those who acknowledge me,

Philistia 2 and Tyre, along with Cush.

And will say, This one was born in Zion.

Indeed of Zion it will be said,

This one and that one were born in her,

and the Most High himself will establish her.

The Lord will write in the register of the peoples,

This one was born in Zion.

As they make music, they will sing,

All of my fountains are in you.

Thanks, Lucy.

Just on that note in terms of their trips overseas,

there's a little flyer at the back called Summer Service,

which just indicates all the different people

are serving in different ways,

how you can pray for them.

There's also a box at the back.

If you weren't able to give last week,

and you would like to be able to give,

in particular for those who are travelling overseas,

then you can do that as well this morning.

Well, Psalm 87,

not sure what page it is on the red-covered Bible.

5.8.6.

5.9.6, sorry.

And we're going to look at Psalm 87 together.

Before we do, we're going to pray and just ask for God's help.

So let's do that now.

Father, thank you for the Bible.

Thank you for your word.

That's been written down for us.

And we ask for the help of your Holy Spirit

to speak to us afresh through it,

that what was written hundreds of years ago

would be real and alive to us today.

Help us to understand it

and help us to work it out in our own lives

and to see what it is that you have called us to.

The great city of God.

Amen.

Well, if you've never been,

I'm sure we've all seen pictures

of some of the great cities of the world.

Think of a city like New York or Tokyo

with their towering skyscrapers

of businesses and banks.

It's a statement of wealth and success.

Or somewhere like Cape Town and Rio

with their awesome panoramic views,

golden beaches and sunsets.

It's an image of health and happiness.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people

migrate to the great cities of the world

in search of a good life,

a better life.

In fact, by 2050,

seven out of every ten people on the planet

will be living in a city.

They offer everything that we all dream for.

Safety and security,

peace, prosperity,

joy and justice,

beauty and harmony.

These are all things that we want

and the city says,

we've got it for you.

However, reality paints a different picture.

Read your newspaper,

turn on the news.

Our cities are places of fear and violence.

A place where evil rules,

where injustice and greed reign.

On my recent trip to Mongolia,

I stayed in the capital of Ulaanbaatar.

That capital has a population of 1.5 million.

It's one of the fastest growing economies in the world

due to all the mining that's taking place in the country.

But almost half the population of that capital

live in dire conditions.

Temperatures reach to minus 40 in winter,

plus 30 in the summer.

And yet half that population live without running water,

electricity, sewage or drainage.

But yet still the people come running to the city

in search of a better and a good life.

Cities have always been a magnet

for the economically pressed

and the politically oppressed.

Whether it's New York or Cork City,

people always come looking for something better.

Well, in Psalm 87,

we're introduced to the city that we all dream about,

the city we all long for.

It's the ultimate city.

It's an eternal city

where its residents are loved and cared for.

It's a city of everlasting joy.

No sadness, no pain.

A place where her people are welcomed

and are filled and forever satisfied.

So let's have a look at this city.

First, we're introduced to the God of the city.

The city's builder and founder.

Look at verse 1.

He, that's God,

has set his foundation on the holy mountain.

This is no ordinary city.

This is a city that's been planned

way back in eternity past

and was founded and built and established by God.

So it has a sense of permanence.

It always has been

and it always will be.

Just like the very mountains

it is built upon.

We get the same idea

if you just hold your finger in Psalm 87

and go back to Psalm 48.

This is another psalm that talks about the city.

We read it earlier this morning.

Psalm 48.

Let's just read verses 1 to 3.

Talking again about the city.

Great is the Lord

and most worthy of praise

in the city of our God,

his holy mountain.

It is beautiful

in its loftiness,

in its greatness.

It's the joy

of the whole earth.

Like the utmost heights of Zaphon,

that great big mountain range,

is found Mount Zion,

which is the city

of the great king.

God is in her citadels,

in the great towers,

and he has shown himself

to be her fortress.

Now read verse 8.

As we have heard,

so we have seen,

in the city

of the Lord Almighty,

in the city

of our God,

God makes her

secure

forever.

I'm sure you've all seen

or perhaps read

Tolkien's

Lord of the Rings.

Well, picture

the image

of some of those

great cities,

Minas Tiris,

the heavily fortified

capital of Gandor,

which is built

into the mountain face.

It's a place

of rest

and refuge

from the evil forces

of Sauron.

Well, that's the imagery

that we have here

in Psalm 48

and Psalm 87.

It's like Minas Tirith,

this enormous city

built into the landscape

of the mountains

to endure forever

and ever,

a place of safety

and security.

But what makes

this city,

back to Psalm 87,

what makes this city

so unique?

It's not so much

its design

or its architecture,

but who lives there?

Verse 3,

Psalm 87,

glorious things

are said of you,

O city of God.

This city

is God's city,

it's the city

that he has chosen

to dwell in.

This is God's home,

if you like.

He's chosen

to reside here.

So it's not surprising

that God loves

this city.

Verse 2,

it tells us

that the Lord

loves the gates

of Zion.

Zion is another word

for God's city.

God loves the gates

of Zion

more than all

the dwellings

of his people.

and he loves

the city

because

this is where

people like you

and I

get to meet God.

Look at verse 2 again,

it says,

the Lord loves

the gates

of Zion.

The gates,

like any gates,

implies

this is the way in,

this is an entrance

into the city

because through

the gates

people get in

and God loves

the gates

because it means

people can come

into the city.

People can come

to God.

So this is

God's city.

It's a place

that he has founded

or that he has built

from eternity past

and this is where

he now dwells.

And it's the city

that God loves

because he gathers

people into the city

to find rest

and refuge,

safety

and security.

But we're also

introduced to

the people

of the city,

the residents

or the inhabitants.

Verse 4,

look at what it says

in verse 4.

He says,

I will record

Rahab.

Rahab was another

name for the,

for Egypt.

He says,

I will record

Rahab and Babylon

among those

who acknowledge me.

Philistia 2

and Tyre

along with Cush

and will say,

this one,

that country,

that place

was born

in Zion.

You see,

the people that are

in this city

are very diverse.

They're not all

from the same place.

They all come

from different nations.

They speak

different languages.

They have

different cultures.

But they're all

there in the one

city.

But there's a

surprise here.

There's a big

shock here.

They come from

places we would

think would be

excluded.

Look at some of

these names.

They're not

necessarily familiar

to us,

but let's explain.

Rahab or Egypt

and Babylon

were the great

enemies of God

and his people.

You remember

the stories of

Egypt.

They were the

people that

enslaved God's

people,

treated them

brutally and

harshly.

Babylon,

they invaded

God's people

and took them

off into

captivity.

Then there's

Philistia,

home of the

Philistines,

and Tyre.

They were

always attacking

and threatening

God's people.

Always at war

with them.

And then we've

got mention of

this place,

Cush.

Well, this is a

far-off,

unknown,

distant land,

a way out

there, a

Ballygo

backwards place.

Nobody ever

went on

holidays to

Cush.

But surprisingly,

all these

people from

all these

different nations

are all

present in

the city of

God.

And amazingly,

they are all

considered

citizens.

Look at the

end of verse

four.

God says,

of this one

I will say

they were

born in

Zion.

Well, how

could they be

born there if

they're not

from there?

Well, some of

you know that I

was born in

London.

A real

cockney I

am.

Not really,

but that's

where I was

born.

Lived there

for the first

six weeks of

my life.

life.

And then my

parents moved

to Ireland.

So I've

been here

99.99%

of my life.

I've studied

here.

I've worked

here.

I've paid my

taxes here.

I help out in

the community.

I love being

here.

But you know

what?

Because I

wasn't born

here, I'm

not actually a

citizen.

I'm not

legally Irish.

I hold a

British passport.

Shh.

But I

support Ireland.

You see, to

be Irish, to

be a citizen, I

must be born

here.

That's the only

way for me to

qualify.

And look at the

nations and the

people that are

mentioned here in

verse 4.

None of them

qualify.

None of them

have the right

papers or the

legal documents.

They're all

outsiders.

They should all

be kept

outside.

But look at

verse 5.

In deed of

Zion, of

God's city, it

will be said,

this one and

that one, the

enemy, the

outsider, the

excluded one,

they will all

be born in

her and the

Most High

himself will

establish her.

They will be

treated as if

they were born

in the city.

And that's

what it is

like for me

living here.

I am treated

as if I was

born here.

In fact, God

declares, he

says, you

were born

here.

Because God's

city is a

welcoming city.

God longs that

his city would

be filled with

people from

all kinds of

nations, even

people like you

and me.

And let's be

clear, the

residents, the

inhabitants of

this city.

They don't

get into the

city because

of their

race or

their particular

religion.

They are not

there because

they're superior.

They're not

there because

they're good

moral people and

they've lived a

good life and

they've never

done this and

they've never

done that.

No, they are

there simply

because God

has opened his

gates to them.

Look at

verse 6.

The Lord

will write in

the register

of the

peoples, this

one was born

in Zion.

It's like

there's a

kind of a

roll call.

He's got a

list and he's

writing their

names down

there and

say, you

were born

here.

We don't

get into the

city because

of our

ability.

We don't

get into the

city because

of our

gifting or

our particular

background or

because of

what our

parents believed

or anybody

else believes,

we get into

the city because

God writes

our name in

his book on

the registry.

So here's

the people of

the city,

diverse,

shocking,

surprising.

Outsiders

are welcomed

in and now

treated as

residents to

share in

and enjoy

all that God

has to give

them from

the city.

So there

are the

people.

We're also

shown the

life of the

city, what

it's actually

like to

live there.

Verse 7.

As they

make music,

they will

sing, all

my fountains

are in you.

This is a

city that's

full of

joy, true

joy and

fulfillment.

The music and

the singing,

well, you

might be very

musical, you

might play an

instrument or

you mightn't

sing, but

it's all

imagery.

And the

singing and

the playing of

instruments are

all signs of

this new,

vibrant and

eternal life

that God has

to give.

Look at the

end of verse

7, he says,

all my

fountains are

in you.

The city is a

source of

life.

You know

what a

fountain is

like, it's

bubbling up,

it's overflowing,

it's abundant,

it's full,

it's fresh.

Well, this is

again imagery,

it's saying this

is what God's

city is like,

it's overflowing

with life in

all its

fullness.

It's life the

way God

intended it to

be, without

pain or

suffering, without

tragedy, without

crime, without

things going

wrong.

The city is

the fountain of

true life.

life.

This is where

salvation is

found.

Whatever we

believe right

now, whatever

our background

is, this is

the kind of

city we dream

of and long

for.

A place where

people from all

kinds of

backgrounds are

all together,

and there's no

fighting, there's

no war.

Everybody's filled

and everybody's

satisfied.

A place of

beauty and

harmony, joy

and justice.

Nobody's left

out.

There's peace,

there's prosperity

and abundance,

safety and

security.

This is the

perfect city.

It's the

ultimate city.

It's what films

are written

about, and

books are

written about.

We all want

this kind of

city.

Which is all

great to read

and to think

about it.

But I want

us to think

through very

briefly three

important

questions.

First, it

would be a

good thing to

know where

the city is.

How am I

going to get

there?

Do I need to

jump on a

plane or drive

in my car?

I want to get

to the city.

How am I

going to get

there?

Where is it?

Well, let me

say this.

It is

something

future and

it is

something

present.

It's

something

future and

something

present.

We're going

to jump

forward to

the book

of Hebrews

because this

whole theme

of the city,

it's introduced

here in

Psalm 87,

but it's

picked up the

whole way

through the

Bible and

we're just

going to

pick up on

some of the

themes of

this city.

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

11 and

if somebody's

got a page

number,

that'll be

helpful for

me and I

can shout

it out.

1-2-0-9.

Page 1-2-0-9.

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

11.

So it's

something

future and

something

present.

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

11 and

we're going to

start at

verse 8.

Abraham,

well he

must be

one of

the oldest

guys that

we know

about way,

way,

way back

long time

ago.

By faith

we're told

verse 8 that

Abraham when

called to go

to a place

he would

later receive

as his

inheritance,

obeyed and

went even

though he

didn't know

where he

was going.

Would you

go where

you didn't

know where

you were

going?

Abraham

did.

Verse 10.

He was

looking forward

to the

city with

foundations whose

architect and

builder is God.

He was

looking for the

city we've

just read

about in

Psalm 87.

Where does

he find it?

How does he

get to it?

Look at

verse 16.

It wasn't

any physical

place on

earth.

Verse 16.

Instead they

were longing

for a

better

country,

a heavenly

one.

Therefore

God is not

ashamed to

be called

their God

for he

has prepared

a city

for them.

You see

we won't

find the

city we've

just read

about here

on earth.

It's not

found in

Cork City.

It's not

found in

New York.

We may

love the

cities but

we won't

find it

here.

Because it's

a heavenly

city.

This is

what Abraham

and all

God's

people

throughout

time

long for

and wait

for.

Here in

the heavenly

city,

heaven itself,

we will

experience

life as

God intended

it to be

in all its

beauty and

all its

perfection.

We read

about it

later don't

we where we

see that God

dwells with

his people

in the

city.

There's no

tears,

no sadness,

there's no

funerals,

nobody gets

sick.

It's a life

without sin

or evil,

the absence

of all

suffering and

pain.

That's the

eternal city

we long

for.

So it is

something

future but

I also want

us to see

that it is

something

present.

Jump forward

to Hebrews

Hebrews 12:22

chapter 12

verse 22.

Hebrews

Hebrews 12:22

chapter 12

verse 22.

And again

look at the

words that he

uses here to

describe the

city.

Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12:22

verse 22.

He says

but you have

come to

Mount Zion,

another word

for God's

city, to the

heavenly

Jerusalem,

that eternal

city, the

city of

the living

God.

You have

come to

thousands upon

thousands of

angels in

the joyful

assembly.

Where's that?

Look at

verse 23.

To the

church of

the firstborn

whose names

are written

in heaven.

You see

he's moved

from thinking

about the

eternal city

to talking

about the

church.

We're waiting

for the

eternal city

but in

the meantime

we've come

to the

church.

The church

isn't a

building we're

meeting here

yes but

it's not a

church.

The people

are the

church.

God's

family.

And the

church,

the people

here,

is a

taste of

the eternal

city to

come.

Every local

church,

church,

and I

want us

to get

this,

every

little

church

is like

a mini

city.

We're the

residents of

the city.

We're to

reflect God's

eternal city,

a reflection of

all that God

has promised.

Because in the

church what do

we find?

People.

People from

all kinds of

nations and

cultures and

languages and

backgrounds and

they've all been

welcomed.

and it

should be a

place of

rest and

refuge, a

place where we

receive grace

and peace,

where we

experience joy

in the support

of one another.

We receive

all the things

that we long

for, forgiveness.

And when

things mess up

we have people

who are there

to help us.

So the

church is a

taste of the

city we all

long for.

It's like a

mini city.

And we're the

residents of

the city,

awaiting our

future home.

So where is

the city?

It's something

to look forward

to, but it's

something we can

begin to enjoy

now through

the life of

God's people.

That's the

first question.

The second

question is

this.

Okay, we know

where it is,

but how do we

get into the

city?

How can I

be part of

it?

Well, look at

the rest of

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 12:23

12 verse 23

again.

Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12:23

verse 23.

We've come to

the church of

the firstborn

whose names

are written

in heaven.

You have

come to

God, the

judge of

all people,

to the

spirits of

the righteous

men or

righteous people

made perfect.

So those are

those who are

in heaven.

verse 24,

to Jesus,

the mediator

of a new

covenant.

Do you see

again how he

moves through

it?

To come to

the city,

he says,

is the same

as coming

to Jesus.

If we want

to get into

the city,

if we want

to enjoy

and experience

this city,

we must come,

verse 24,

to Jesus,

the mediator.

He's the

entrance,

he's the

gate,

he's the

way into

the city.

How is

Jesus the

way in?

How is

he a

gate?

Well,

look at

Hebrews

Hebrews 13:12

chapter 13

verse 12.

Try and

keep this

logic going.

How are we

getting into

the city?

We go

through Jesus.

He's the

gate,

he's the

entrance.

How is

that so?

Chapter 13

verse 12.

Look what

we read

about Jesus

here.

Chapter 13

verse 12.

So Jesus

also suffered

outside the

city gate

to make

the people

holy

through his

blood.

That's

through his

death.

Let us

then go

to him

outside the

camp or

outside the

city,

bearing the

disgrace

he bore.

For here

on this

earth we

do not

have an

enduring

city,

but we

are looking

for the

city that

is to

come.

You see,

Jesus took

on himself

all of our

disgrace,

all of our

sin,

all of our

guilt,

and all of

our shame.

If this is

me here,

and this is

Jesus here,

and all my

mess,

and all my

failures,

and there's

lots of

them,

just talk

to my

family,

they'll

tell you

what they

all are.

Jesus has

taken all

of that

disgrace,

all of

that sin

and guilt,

and he's

taken it

on himself.

And he

was put

outside the

city.

He went

outside the

city and

suffered and

died for

us in

our place.

He was

abandoned,

he was

pushed out,

he was the

one excluded

from the

city,

because he

took our

sin,

he couldn't

get in,

so that

we might

be,

look at

verse 12,

the end

of verse 12,

made holy

through his

blood,

made right

before God

through his

death,

so that we

could be

welcomed into

the city,

and never

be thrown

out of the

city.

Jesus was

pushed out

so that we

might be

welcomed in.

That's how

we get into

the city.

It's through

Jesus.

And the

final question,

we know

where it is,

it's something

future, but

it's also

something present,

we know how

we get in,

we go through

Jesus,

but who?

Who can get

in?

Who's welcomed?

Well, think

back to what

we looked at

in the

psalm.

God welcomes

all people.

He's opened

his gates

wide to

his enemies.

That means

to sinful

rebels like

you and

me.

Psalm 87

Psalms 87:4

verse 4

says,

I will

record

Rahab

and Babylon,

the enemy,

the outsider,

the ones who

should never

get in,

the people

who should

be excluded.

I'm going

to make it

possible for

them to

come in.

those who

acknowledge

me, I

will record.

I'm going

to write

their names

down and

make sure

that they're

going to

be there.

You know,

to acknowledge

God is

not just

giving some

intellectual nod

and say,

yep, I

know God

exists and

that's fine.

No, it

means to

trust him

with your

whole life.

It means

to say,

he is the

king of

the city

and I'll

live to

serve him

and I'll

live under

him.

It means

that without

him, we

will never

get into

the city.

It all

comes down

to grace.

Not because

of anything

we have

done.

Not because

of anything

that I

could ever

do that

will get

me into

the city.

It's all

because of

what God

has done

for me.

It's because

of his

kindness and

his mercy.

This is a

city where

God brings

undeserving

outsiders

in and

he blesses

them.

And let

me just

leave us

with this

final thought.

We've got

three questions.

Where the

city is,

how we get

into the

city and

who can

come.

If God

has welcomed

you and

me and

you have

trusted in

Jesus and

you know

you're going

to that

city and

you're

welcomed

into that

city,

then we

should bring

that same

welcome to

other people

and say to

them also,

you too are

welcomed into

the city.

That's the

message that

you guys and

everybody else

who's going to

be involved in

Kinsale.

That's what

you're saying

to the people

of Kinsale.

You are

welcome into

the city of

God.

God's

and here's

how you

can be

part of

it.

We can

never exclude

anybody.

That's not

our job.

Our job is

to give the

invite and

to welcome

so that they

may enjoy

all that God

has to give.

So that is

the eternal

city.

It's the city

we all dream

of and all

long for.

But it's a

reality through

Jesus Christ.

let's pray.

Father we

thank you for

this wonderful

picture and

image of the

great city.

Thank you

that it is

everything that

we ever dream

of.

Thank you

that it's all

possible through

Jesus.

Thank you

that you've

welcomed us.

and please

help us if

we are not

there yet

that we

would trust

you and

know that

we can be

part of it.

We ask

this in

Jesus name.

Amen.

Well we're

going to

sing

our

God

God