1 00:00:07,750 --> 00:00:12,270 Chapter 21, the Book of Revelation, verses 1:00 to 8:00. 2 00:00:12,270 --> 00:00:19,910 I've been praying hard and long. I don't want to get in the way 3 00:00:19,910 --> 00:00:22,710 of how wonderful this passage is. 4 00:00:24,190 --> 00:00:28,910 So I I need to pray again. Lord, you are my strength. 5 00:00:29,110 --> 00:00:34,240 You've become my salvation. I'll give thanks to the Lord for 6 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,640 his good, for His mercy and Jews forever. 7 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,560 Lord, let our ears hear from you. 8 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,880 Holy Spirit, teach us the wonder. 9 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:48,760 Help us to see and hear the wonder of the scriptures as they 10 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:56,480 reveal to us this passage. Father of Heaven, pray and ask 11 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:02,960 this please in Jesus name, Amen. So we come near to the end. 12 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,239 We're close. We've had the tribulation 13 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:13,320 period, 7 year period. Then Jesus came second coming at 14 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:17,800 the end of the tribulation. Then there was 1000 year reign. 15 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:19,680 It's called the millennial reign. 16 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,480 And now we look at a new heaven and a new earth. 17 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,120 The word heaven in the Book of Revelation is mentioned 55 18 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:37,280 times. The Bible speaks of heaven 532 19 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,480 times. So heaven is a very real place. 20 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,320 It's just not a thought or a concept. 21 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,120 It's our ultimate home. We're citizens of it. 22 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,400 If you're a born again Christian, Paul wrote to the 23 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,600 Philippians. He said for our citizenship, 24 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,440 where we belong, our passport, our heritage, our who, who I am, 25 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:09,240 where's home is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for 26 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,440 the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. 27 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:19,680 Our reward is there eventually will be rewarded there every St 28 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:26,480 everyone from the beginning of creation right through everyone 29 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,600 who has received Christ as the Lord and Saviour will be in 30 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:36,240 heaven. And it says let's read verse one 31 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:42,120 now I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the 1st heaven and the 32 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,240 first earth had passed away and there was no more sea. 33 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,120 No more sea always freaks out the surface. 34 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:57,920 They go oh man, but please listen. 35 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,640 There are many people here who love the beach, love the ocean, 36 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:09,680 but whatever you loved and enjoyed in this current world, 37 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:19,480 heaven will be seismically better and beyond than which you 38 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,240 could currently fathom. So if you love the ocean, 39 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:29,440 fishing, the the beauty of the ocean, listen, heaven is going 40 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,920 to be way beyond. It'll be like looking back at 41 00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:36,200 the sea now and going that's like Lake Munga. 42 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,520 It's, it's, it's, it's no comparison. 43 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,280 And we, we try to compare good things here on Earth and we say, 44 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,480 well, how will heaven? It's beyond that. 45 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,760 It's so beyond that words can't describe. 46 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,240 The oceans currently cover over 75% of our planet. 47 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,440 This mass of water separates the continents, doesn't it? 48 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,360 Australia, we're way down the bottom here, away from everyone 49 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,680 else. Well, that separation will be 50 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,640 gone on the new heaven and the new earth, but there's more. 51 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:22,200 Verse 2 Then I, John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming 52 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:28,120 down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for 53 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:30,440 husband. I saw this, this new city. 54 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,960 It's just dazzling. And I heard a loud voice from 55 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:39,120 heaven saying, behold, the Tabernacle will explain that 56 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:44,480 simply means the dwelling place or the tent of God is with men. 57 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:50,040 He will dwell with them. God will dwell with them, and 58 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:56,120 they shall be his people. To explain it even deeper, John 59 00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:00,200 says God himself will be with them and be their God. 60 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:07,200 You know God has desired in his heart to enjoy with you, yes, 61 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:11,520 you, you and I and his church intimate fellowship. 62 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,680 Remember in the book of Genesis and Revelation is is is not only 63 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,640 winding the clock back putting things right, but he's making 64 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,680 everything new that we had in the beginning and was ruined, 65 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:27,760 damaged and made sin. Now we're we're getting the 66 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:35,280 rewrap, but a far better deal. God walked with Adam, remember 67 00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:37,440 in the cool of the evening, Imagine walking with God. 68 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:38,840 Yeah, look at that flower. That's amazing. 69 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:42,880 Look at that plants and talking with God face to face. 70 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,800 Commune with him. Or God wants to do that with 71 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:53,640 you. He wants to have fellowship and 72 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,760 not fellowship. We kind of use a a churchy word 73 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,080 fellowship, but it's it's, it's much more than that. 74 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,440 It's it, we can't describe it. It's more intimate. 75 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,080 And we we use the word communion when we have communion. 76 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,320 God wants to have communion, but it's, it's more than just being 77 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:15,120 in the same communion, like hanging out with someone who has 78 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:23,000 the same thoughts and ideals. It's, it's a bond that is only 79 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:28,560 found in heaven by God and he desires to have that with you. 80 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:33,560 We don't have that just yet because sin has always been in 81 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,800 the way for that relationship to be possible. 82 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,280 But through the journey through the Bible, God has set the path 83 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:45,560 forward because He wants to be close to you. 84 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,760 He wants to hold your hand. He wants you to see His face. 85 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:56,120 He wants you to hear His voice. He wants you to be present with 86 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:00,440 Him personally. In the Old Testament, God gave 87 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:05,960 to Moses a plan and it was a a tent, a flash tent didn't look 88 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,840 very flash on the outside, but it was awesome on the inside and 89 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:12,520 it was called the tent of meeting. 90 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,600 It was the first Tabernacle, Tabernacle, place of dwelling, 91 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:22,120 tent of meeting during the great Exodus, as the children of 92 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:26,520 Israel were led by Moses out of Egypt on their way and they 93 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,000 wandered through the desert to the Promised Land. 94 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:37,520 They would erect this Tabernacle and God would meet Moses in that 95 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:41,880 place and talk with him the things that were needed to to go 96 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:46,960 on at night. Each of the tribes, the 12 97 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:54,560 tribes had a designated position around the camp and in the 98 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:59,320 centre of the camp at night, there was this massive pillar of 99 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,520 fire that just charged up in the air. 100 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,600 And that every tent as they are allocated, no matter whether 101 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,000 you're the tribe of Judah or Benjamin, whenever, when you got 102 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,840 went to the front of your tent and you put your head out, the 103 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:16,280 kids put their head out. They could look directly and 104 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,120 they would see the centre of the camp and they would see this, 105 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,680 this pillar of fire charging in the air. 106 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,320 That was God saying, I'm with you, I'm here. 107 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,480 During the day as they journeyed, there would be a 108 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,760 cloud that would keep them cool and would lead them and guide 109 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:37,760 them, and they could see the gods with us. 110 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:45,080 Then Solomon built the temple. The children of Israel arrive in 111 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,720 the promised land. Time goes on. 112 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:50,280 Solomon decides to build a temple. 113 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:56,720 David couldn't this magnificent temple, it was a tent of meeting 114 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,120 to to replace the tent of meeting. 115 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:05,800 And in one Kings chapter 8 we have the description on the day 116 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,360 that the temple is finished, the workers are finished. 117 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:13,560 Solomon dedicates it and it says and when the priest came out of 118 00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:18,240 the holy place, a thick cloud filled the temple of the Lord. 119 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:23,240 The Bible calls it the Shekinah glory, the very presence of God. 120 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,920 The priest couldn't continue the service in the temple because of 121 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:29,040 the cloud. Why? 122 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:33,160 For the glorious presence of the Lord filled the temple. 123 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,520 God was there. Then Solomon prayed. 124 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,840 Oh Lord, you've said that you would live in a thick cloud of 125 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,040 darkness. Now I've built a glorious temple 126 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,480 for you, a place where you can live forever. 127 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:49,320 So God was dwelling in the temple. 128 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,800 It was a meaning place, but there was still separation 129 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:58,080 between God and man and the temple, because there were 130 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:03,280 rituals that had to go through sacrifices and in the temple. 131 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,960 The priest could work in the holy place, but then only one 132 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,640 day of the year into the holy of holies. 133 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,400 Dividing a veil between the holy of Holies and the holy place. 134 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,640 The priest could go, the high priest one day a year. 135 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:25,120 So there was this still separation from God, and God 136 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:30,440 moved to the next thing he did. He sent his son into the world. 137 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,880 Matthew 123 Look, the virgin will conceive a child, she'll 138 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,880 give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel. 139 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:50,120 Not because he's Spanish, which means God is with us and in one 140 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:57,520 John, and I'll read it to you. When Jesus came and the 141 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:02,040 disciples followed Jesus, hear what John says, that which was 142 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,560 from the beginning, which we've heard, which we have seen with 143 00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:08,960 our eyes, which we've looked upon, our hands handled, they 144 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:13,560 touched Jesus concerning the word of life. 145 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:19,560 The life was revealed, we've seen, we bear witness, we 146 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:24,400 declare to you that eternal which was with the Father was 147 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,000 revealed to us. That which we have seen and 148 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:31,680 heard, we declare to you. The disciples touch God. 149 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,240 And then John tells us in John 114. 150 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:42,440 So the Word became human and made his home tabernacled among 151 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:46,280 us. He was full of unfailing love 152 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:50,160 and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the 153 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,280 glory of the Father, one and only Son. 154 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,960 We saw God's glory in Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration, 155 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:02,200 Peter, James and John. So Jesus transfigured in all his 156 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:07,680 glory with Moses and and and and they're talking of Elijah. 157 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:10,440 They're talking of the death, the coming death of Jesus. 158 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,120 But you know, for you and I, they had that. 159 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,880 But you and I, we still ache within us. 160 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:25,760 There's something about wanting to see God face to face, to 161 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:31,600 touch him in heaven. Time will be no more. 162 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:37,760 We are living in eternity. Solomon wrote about heaven and 163 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,720 eternity. He said and Ecclesiastes 311 Yet 164 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:45,360 God has made everything beautiful for his own time, and 165 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,560 he has planted eternity in the human heart. 166 00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:53,040 Your heart, my heart. But Even so, people cannot see 167 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,560 the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. 168 00:12:56,680 --> 00:13:00,000 We can't see it yet that we have this big hole in us. 169 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:07,560 We each long to know God. It's built in our DNA. 170 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,160 That's why even an atheist, when they're about to die or they're 171 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,120 they're scared to death, they'll go God help me. 172 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:22,000 But that closeness that you and I want, it still evades us. 173 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,280 Well, the New Jerusalem had been prepared as a bride. 174 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:30,480 That means now I saw new heaven and new earth for the 1st heaven 175 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:32,040 and the first earth that passed away. 176 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:36,240 Also, there was no more sea than I John saw the holy city, New 177 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:40,520 Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a 178 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,680 bride, adorned for a husband. Why would he say that? 179 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,880 Prepared as a bride? Speaking of a city, well it's 180 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,480 identified with the residents that are going to be there. 181 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:54,440 The residents are the bride of Christ. 182 00:13:54,440 --> 00:14:01,920 You and I are going to be in this New Jerusalem, and there's 183 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:05,080 another loud voice, an important announcement. 184 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:11,400 Because there will be now no separation forever between the 185 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,960 Saints and God. John now describes heaven by 186 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:21,840 telling us what it is not like. He describes it in the negative 187 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,440 way. Why would John do that? 188 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,080 Why wouldn't John tell us what it's like when he says these are 189 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,880 the things that won't happen here because heaven is like 190 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:33,920 nothing. We know we can't, we can't 191 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:38,640 fathom it. The apostle Paul, he had a time 192 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,640 and he said, I don't know whether I was in a vision or 193 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,320 what happened to me, but I was taken to heaven. 194 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:49,520 And hear what Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 12 verse 4 as he had 195 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:53,200 a glimpse of heaven that I was caught up to paradise and heard 196 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:59,480 things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words. 197 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:04,440 Now Paul was a university graduate, a man of high degree 198 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:10,120 of learning, yet he had no and he spoke many languages Aramaic, 199 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:14,080 Hebrew, Greek, but he couldn't find words. 200 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:21,280 He says, I cannot express in words no human is it able to 201 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:26,680 tell what heaven is like. This is why I believe John 202 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:32,400 describes heaven as he does. He says in verse 4, And God will 203 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,080 wipe away every tear from their eyes. 204 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:43,040 There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. 205 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:48,040 There shall be no more pain for the former. 206 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:52,080 Things have passed away. They're gone, done. 207 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,840 Each and every one of us here this morning, especially those 208 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:04,160 older in years, usually to a greater degree, have experienced 209 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,240 tears when we've had great sorrows. 210 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:14,240 The phone rings. Dad's dead. 211 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,880 Granddad's dead, your brother's been killed. 212 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:26,600 The doctor rings and said the tests have proved that's not 213 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:31,320 good. We've experienced tears when 214 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:37,440 we've had great sorrow, we've experienced tears and I think 215 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,920 everyone has in this area too, of being alone. 216 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:49,800 There's a moment that voice that's risen up in you. 217 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,560 You can be in a happy marriage, have a good job, be of good 218 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:59,440 health, or you're going to have a whole stack of things going 219 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,400 against you. But for all of us without 220 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:07,520 Christ, does anyone know I exist? 221 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:15,720 Does anyone really know out of the eight point 9 billion people 222 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:20,960 that on this planet, does anyone know that I exist? 223 00:17:24,839 --> 00:17:29,440 We've had tears of misfortune. Things just went wrong. 224 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:36,000 Some have had tears of poverty, lost everything. 225 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:38,960 Some of you have come from South Africa. 226 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,480 Many South African farmers have just left everything. 227 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,800 Zimbabwe as well. People have left countries and 228 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,600 come to Australia. They come from a refugee camp, 229 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,920 lost everything. We've had many tears of 230 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:07,800 sympathy. We've sat with the broken, we've 231 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:14,360 sat with the morning, those who have lost their loved one and 232 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:19,880 we've had tears of regret. I have as a father, as a husband 233 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:29,600 and I look back at my life to be Christ and and I look back at I 234 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,200 can't believe what sort of a person I was. 235 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,640 I wasn't a killer or anything like that in that sense. 236 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,360 And we kind of think, oh, why? How bad were you? 237 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:48,360 You know, No, no, I was just a selfish, inconsiderate, rude, 238 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,000 well accepted person by everybody else. 239 00:18:55,160 --> 00:19:00,520 But I was all the all those things, tears of regret. 240 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,520 How could I have done that? How could I have acted that way? 241 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,480 How could I have been so selfish, absorbed? 242 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:17,880 But in heaven, all of that will be gone forever. 243 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:26,400 Praise the Lord. God will whisper in your ear, 244 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,640 I'm sure. Because it says God will wipe 245 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,320 away every tear. That's an action, isn't it? 246 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:38,760 God wiping away a tear. And I'm sure there will be many 247 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:44,000 of us when we get to heaven that will have the wonder of God 248 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,240 saying to us privately, personally, it's all over. 249 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,760 No more tears, my son. No more struggle for my 250 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:58,720 daughter. You're my child. 251 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:04,000 That's the intimacy that awaits us. 252 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,280 God will wipe away every tear. It's all over. 253 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,200 In heaven we will have nothing to cry about. 254 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:24,280 There's nothing to cry about. Death will be dissolved, 255 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:31,480 banished, the last great enemy. Paul speaks of 1 Corinthians 15, 256 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,720 verse 26. The last enemy that will be 257 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,680 destroyed is death. Paul says that now at the second 258 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,800 resurrection of the unsaved. We dealt with that the other 259 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,760 night. You need to watch that at the 260 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:48,680 great white throne Judgement Revelation chapter 20, verse 14. 261 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:53,640 It says back there then death and Hades were cast into the 262 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,760 lake of fire. Death is no longer now. 263 00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:02,120 In the beginning, in the book of Genesis, death wasn't the plan 264 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:06,680 for Adam and Eve. It wasn't God's plan for this 265 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:10,240 planet, for this world. Adam and Eve were born into this 266 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,880 world, created in this world to live forever. 267 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,320 They disobeyed God. Sin entered the world. 268 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:21,480 Satan said you won't die if you ain't this. 269 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:28,160 Then in Genesis chapter 5, the first obituary column, then he 270 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,920 died, then he died, and then he died. 271 00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:37,440 It says in heaven, sorrow will also pass away. 272 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:44,440 We have our trials, our storms, our heartaches. 273 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:50,720 Don't we sorrow sometimes, you know, we have such situations. 274 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:54,160 And I'm reading through Charles Spurgeon again about his life. 275 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,560 And he was a man that suffered fits of depression. 276 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:06,280 Luther did as well. Martin Luther Sometimes we have 277 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,600 sorrows and sometimes these drive us into the pit of 278 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:14,440 depression. Even the apostle Paul, great man 279 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,360 of faith, had this experience, he says in Two Corinthians, 280 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:22,440 chapter one, verse 8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, 281 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:28,120 brethren of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were 282 00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:33,240 burdened beyond measure above strength so that we despaired 283 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:35,480 even of life. You thought, Oh my goodness, 284 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:40,960 you're going to die. Remember Elijah, the great 285 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,120 property. Elijah called stop the the the 286 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:46,240 rain coming down and he took off. 287 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,880 He said, God, kill me. I'd rather you kill me because 288 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,360 Jezebel wants to kill me. It's a bit funny that isn't it. 289 00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:58,320 He's taken off because Jezebel wants to kill him. 290 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:04,200 And he says, God, you kill me. And God said to Elijah, what are 291 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:10,640 you doing here in this cave? Even Elijah, great man of 292 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:12,800 prayer. So God, take my life. 293 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:15,640 I can't do this. You see, when people feel this 294 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,880 depression and struggle so much, they want to end it all. 295 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:21,840 It's a massive problem in our world today. 296 00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:23,720 People say it's a mental health problem. 297 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:28,960 The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. 298 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,200 It's our hearts. We need God. 299 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:40,720 It's a soul problem because you see people looking for 300 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:42,280 everywhere to find their identity. 301 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,880 I think, well, if I choose this different lifestyle, if I, if I 302 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,600 put this term upon myself, if I call myself this, this will, 303 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:55,000 this will help my identity. Now your identity, you're 304 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,640 trampling over it. Your identity is that you are 305 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:04,000 made in the image of God. You're a creation of God. 306 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,560 He formed you, and when he made you, he said it is good. 307 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:15,920 In fact, he says it's very good. In heaven there'll be no more 308 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:20,520 sorrow. Therefore we will weep no more, 309 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,360 because we'll have nothing to cry about. 310 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,920 There shall be no more pain. Wow. 311 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,920 For the former things have passed away. 312 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:37,640 Pain will be a thing of the past, of the old world, 313 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,640 banished, never to be felt anymore. 314 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:49,160 No more pain. The pain of a death, of the 315 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,480 death of a loved one. I've seen it. 316 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:57,960 I've done many funerals. The pain of the death of a loved 317 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:04,840 1 words can't describe the herd. See a little child sitting in 318 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,280 the front row at a funeral at their granddad or the dad's 319 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:16,000 funeral. Heartbroken death rips your 320 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,880 heart apart because it's separation. 321 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,520 That person's gone. Can't touch them, can't hear 322 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:28,120 them, can't hold them. I don't look into their eyes 323 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:32,760 anymore. Oh, the enemy. 324 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:37,480 Satan brought that death in and it's a savage pain. 325 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:43,880 Yeah, so many today are living with chronic pain. 326 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:50,240 Not an hour without it now. Paul wrote Romans chapter 8 327 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:53,640 verse 18. He says, for I consider that the 328 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:59,080 sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared 329 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,520 with the glory which shall be revealed in US. 330 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,640 And he's Speaking of heaven. And when we read this, we think, 331 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,840 no, no, let's listen. Nothing can can compete with the 332 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:15,200 the hurt and the pain that I feel. 333 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:23,680 Now, how can Paul write that? Paul saying, listen, he's not 334 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:27,120 putting down what we feel, how we hurt. 335 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,240 It's very real. Paul's sense that he knew that 336 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:33,520 himself. But what he is saying is when we 337 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:42,320 get to heaven, Heaven will open up something to us that will 338 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,560 help us look back on those things. 339 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:53,400 And it would be like a fire blanket on a raging fire. 340 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:57,840 The pain is a raging fire in our heart, like a raging Bush fire 341 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:02,320 and then a sudden thunderstorm and it just go, it's out, it's 342 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:07,080 done. Heaven will envelope us like a 343 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:12,800 blanket and our hurt and our pain will be gone, will be done. 344 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,840 And heaven in its vastness and it's wonder will, will just so 345 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,480 overwhelm us with the joy and the wonder of it. 346 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,560 That the comparison. Because Paul's saying the things 347 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,920 that you feel they're real. Yeah, we know how they hurt. 348 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,040 But the he says will not be compared. 349 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:39,680 Heaven just over overwhelms it. No hospitals in heaven, no 350 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:45,960 funerals in heaven, no broken homes in heaven, no broken 351 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:52,640 hearts in heaven, no rehab centres in heaven, no Hospice 352 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:58,760 care in heaven, no dementia in heaven, no Alzheimer's in 353 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,840 heaven, no wheelchairs in heaven. 354 00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:07,920 It seems as if John is completely overwhelmed by all 355 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,640 the that he sees as he describes us. 356 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:15,600 And he, he stops riding. He says there shall be no more 357 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:17,720 pain for the former things have passed away. 358 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,080 Then notice verse 5. There's this kind of like 359 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,000 strange thing coming from the throne. 360 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,240 Then he who sat on the throne said, behold, I make all things 361 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:28,320 true, new. And he said to me, right. 362 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:29,960 For these things are true and faithful. 363 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,680 In other words, John's going, oh man, you mean no more pain, no 364 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,280 more sorrow, no more tears. Oh, and he's, he's thinking 365 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:44,440 about all that and he stops, he's overwhelmed by the wonder 366 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:48,400 of heaven. And he stops, he says, John, God 367 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:54,000 says to John, I make all things new. 368 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,960 And he said to me, write, write it down, John. 369 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,040 For these words are true and faithful. 370 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:09,960 Remember they were the words on Revelation chapter 19 when Jesus 371 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,600 wrote back faithful and true on his thigh. 372 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:18,920 John and God said to me, it's done. 373 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:21,840 In other words, as you write it down, you're writing it down. 374 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,200 It's, it's done in other words, to God, it's happened, it's 375 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:27,760 going to happen. It's happening. 376 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:35,520 It's it's concrete. I am the alpha and the Omega. 377 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:40,600 I am the beginning and the end. I've got all this covered, John. 378 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:42,760 It's done. It's going to happen. 379 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:48,120 All that you're writing down heaven, it's real, God on the 380 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,560 throne, tells John. But we're not finished, John, 381 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:53,720 Don't stop. Keep writing. 382 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,840 There's more, God declares. I'm going to do all this. 383 00:29:58,160 --> 00:29:59,720 I'm going to make all things new. 384 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:03,560 What I'm telling you, John, what you're writing down is true. 385 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:05,960 I guarantee it. It's all done. 386 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:11,120 And then he says I will give of the fountains of the water of 387 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:18,680 life freely to him who firsts, he who overcomes shall inherit 388 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,600 all things. And notice God. 389 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:24,600 He's notice how intimate he's saying I'll be his God. 390 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:29,800 He shall be. Notice the intimacy of the 391 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:33,760 change now of the talking of you and I and God. 392 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:39,160 And he shall be my son. That word son there means my 393 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:43,200 child. God's saying you're, you're 394 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,520 going to be my child. God now describes 2 groups of 395 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:54,640 people in these verses and the ones that come those who will be 396 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:58,880 in heaven and those who will not be in heaven. 397 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:05,000 What's the requirement for heaven according to our text? 398 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,800 The answer You go to the text to get the context. 399 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:12,040 What's the answer to those who will be in heaven? 400 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:16,720 I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him 401 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:24,440 who 1st Who first? The word first here defined it 402 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:30,840 means those who painfully feel their want of they long for 403 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:35,160 things which the soul needs refreshing. 404 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:47,040 To get into heaven you must be thirsty to get into heaven you 405 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:51,160 must be thirsty. You must see your need to drink 406 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:53,320 from God's well. How do I explain that? 407 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:56,720 Well, Jesus sent his disciples on. 408 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:59,520 He said, you guys go ahead, I'm waiting here at a well and a 409 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:03,920 woman came John chapter 4. And he asked the woman, can you 410 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:06,280 give me a drink out of them? Well, what you, you're a Jew, 411 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:08,480 you're asking me, a woman, a Samaran. 412 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:11,720 And then they had this discussion. 413 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:18,200 It was an arranged meeting. Jesus said to her, Whoever 414 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:23,560 drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the 415 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:27,920 water that I'll give him will never thirst, but the water that 416 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,960 I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water, 417 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:33,200 springing up into everlasting life. 418 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:40,400 And the woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, that I may 419 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,720 not first, nor come here to draw. 420 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:50,120 And there Jesus had spoken to her, and he said, Don't get your 421 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,440 husband. Actually, you haven't got a 422 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:57,680 husband at the moment, have you? You've had five men 423 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:01,920 relationships. The one you're with now is not 424 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,600 your husband. And he pulled down her mask. 425 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:10,760 You see, she had tried with the ache, with the thirst in her 426 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:14,120 soul. She had tried to find it in men. 427 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:16,680 If you just tell me you love me, I'll be with you. 428 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:19,160 She's just looking for protection. 429 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:23,120 She was trying to fill the hole in her with relationship with a 430 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,640 man. Some people try it with career, 431 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,400 some people try it with sport, some people try it with 432 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:33,520 athletic, some people try it with health and we try and fill 433 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:36,440 that first. Some people try it with drugs. 434 00:33:41,790 --> 00:33:46,710 Jesus said no, the water that I give you, that's the only thing 435 00:33:46,710 --> 00:33:50,710 that will quench your thirst. This poor woman, but however, 436 00:33:50,910 --> 00:33:56,790 was desperately thirsty for the things of God and Jesus said I'm 437 00:33:56,790 --> 00:34:02,840 the one I'm the Messiah, I am he and she went whoa. 438 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,200 She received him as Lord and Saviour. 439 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:07,720 She ran into the village. She says hey everybody, 440 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:10,080 everybody you've got to come. You've got to come meet this 441 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:12,040 man. Tell me everything about you got 442 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,199 to meet him. Her first was quenched. 443 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:18,760 Now out of her is bubbling this, this, this, this gallons and 444 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:22,679 gallons of water. She's telling everyone I'm I'm 445 00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:25,360 no longer thirsty. You come, come and drink. 446 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:29,040 She was never going to be thirsty again. 447 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:35,800 Jesus said in the temple when he was teaching in John Chapter 7, 448 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:40,719 verse 37, on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus 449 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:45,320 stood and cried out, saying, if anyone first let him come to me 450 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:48,920 and drink. You see only those, and you need 451 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,920 to listen carefully to this part, only those who are 452 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:55,120 dissatisfied with this present life. 453 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:02,200 You're apart from Christ who are thirsty enough. 454 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,160 How thirsty? The psalmist wrote it this way. 455 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:12,360 Psalm 42 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my 456 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:18,720 soul for you. Oh God, a parched soul aching 457 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:22,040 within will go to heaven and be in heaven. 458 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:27,240 Heaven will be populated by those who thirsted after God. 459 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:31,280 Are you thirsty for God? I remember being five years old, 460 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:36,120 holding a Gideon's Bible, King James, Gideon's Bible, trying to 461 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:39,760 read it and praying to God. God, please. 462 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,240 And I cried and wept. I remember vividly. 463 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,080 God, will you show yourself to me? 464 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:49,600 Because in my heart, five years old, I needed to know God. 465 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,440 I had an ache in my heart. There are those of you here 466 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,400 today. You have an ache in your heart 467 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:57,960 and you've filled it like the woman at the well. 468 00:35:57,960 --> 00:35:59,520 You've filled it with relationships. 469 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:02,840 You've tried career, sports, you've tried health. 470 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,520 You've tried all academia. You've tried many, many things. 471 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:13,560 Your first can only be quenched by the water from Christ. 472 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,800 How thirsty are you? Verse 7? 473 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,480 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I'll be his God 474 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:29,160 and he shall be my son. So you got to be thirsty and an 475 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:33,320 overcomer to be in heaven. What's an overcomer, you ask? 476 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:39,440 When you're born of God by faith, when you trust in Jesus 477 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,760 alone and in his provision, you've received Christ as your 478 00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:48,680 Lord and Saviour, then God after you've done that enables you, 479 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:54,600 empowers you to overcome sin and temptation through the power of 480 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:58,880 the Son of God in your life. Revelation chapter 3, verse 12, 481 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:01,600 Jesus wrote to the Church of Philadelphia. 482 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:06,960 He says he who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple 483 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:09,720 of my God. He shall go out no more. 484 00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:12,840 He'll always be with me. I will write on him the name of 485 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:17,480 my God, the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which 486 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:20,920 comes down out of heaven. Oh my God, it's linked. 487 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:24,120 An overcomer. Well, what's an overcomer? 488 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,080 The other group John mentions now are those who will not be in 489 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:32,840 heaven. He says in verse 8. 490 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:36,000 Now notes, notice this, and you probably stumble at the first 491 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:41,280 one, but the cowardly, cowardly, unbelieving, abominable 492 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:45,520 murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all 493 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:49,160 liars shall have their part in the lake of fire, which burns 494 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,880 with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. 495 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:57,960 These are those who haven't received Christ, didn't become 496 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:02,960 overcomers, but are overcome by their sin and would not trust 497 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:05,200 the Lord. I heard about the Lord. 498 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:11,600 Not interested, Cowardly. Now this is not Speaking of 499 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:17,480 natural timidity, but of the cowardice which is the last 500 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:24,840 resort where someone chooses self and safety before Christ. 501 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:27,960 They won't deny themselves. Jesus said if you want to follow 502 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:30,720 me, what are you going to do? You got to deny yourself. 503 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:34,320 Take up your cross, which kills the old you and follow me. 504 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:39,400 You see, there are people who go, well, you know, I, I know 505 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:42,440 what you're saying is true and I believe Jesus is the Son of God. 506 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:47,040 But you know, I'm, I'm not prepared to go that path, go to 507 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,120 church, you know, turn over a new leaf, live that one. 508 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:57,360 Nah, these people, the cowardly are those who refuse to take a 509 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:02,680 stand for Jesus Christ. They don't endure, they quit, 510 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:05,760 they walk away. They turn their backs on God. 511 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:09,800 They never had a saving faith in the 1st place. 512 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:12,880 Maybe they said the sinner's prayer at a church service. 513 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:17,240 Maybe they had an emotional moment one time, but they never 514 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:20,720 made a real commitment to Jesus Christ. 515 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:25,640 You see, the Bible tells us here there is no second chance after 516 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:28,680 death. There is no reincarnation. 517 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:30,960 Let's have a crack. Come back the second time. 518 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:35,520 Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 21 says as it is appointed for men to 519 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:40,680 die once and after after that judgement, it says the 520 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,280 unbelieving, the cowardly, the unbelieving. 521 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:48,680 These people lack saving faith as demonstrated by their ungodly 522 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:51,360 lives, the abominable. That's not talking about 523 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:55,240 snowmen. It means polluted with sin in 524 00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:59,720 your mind and spirit. Murderers, sexually immoral, 525 00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:03,480 sorcerers, idolaters, all liars shall have their part on the 526 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:06,920 lake, which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second 527 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:11,000 death. Adultery, homosexuality, incest. 528 00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:12,560 Sorcerers. That says it. 529 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:14,840 Sorcerers. Well, is that someone wears a 530 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,680 big hat and waves a wand around a gown? 531 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:23,760 No, it's the term pharmakeias. When we get our English word 532 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:29,080 pharmacy, it's the use of drugs associated with the worship of 533 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:32,920 Pagan gods. In other words, you take drugs 534 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:39,920 to worship Pagan gods in our day it's called spiritism and I just 535 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:45,240 feel one with the universe might take idolaters. 536 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:50,320 What is that? Those who give supreme devotion 537 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:55,320 to anyone or anything other than God? 538 00:40:56,840 --> 00:41:00,920 Liars. This would include those who say 539 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:06,280 they are Christians but fail to live in a way that honours God. 540 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:10,160 Timothy wrote, sorry, Titus wrote about this. 541 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:16,440 He says in verse verse 1, chapter 1, verse 16, he says 542 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:20,440 they profess to know God. Paul writing to Titus, they 543 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:24,760 profess to know God but in works they deny him. 544 00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:28,680 You can't see that they're a Christian being abominable. 545 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:33,960 He uses that term again. Disobedient and disqualified for 546 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:42,200 every good work. Heaven in heaven. 547 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:47,960 I've done the funerals of many, and the hardest and most 548 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:56,080 difficult are those of infants. I remember my nephew going to 549 00:41:56,080 --> 00:42:00,360 the back of the hearse. They had twins stillborn. 550 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:05,920 He grabbed the 2 little caskets that were joined together by two 551 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:11,160 bars and he carried them as we're doing the funeral, ready 552 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:16,400 to be loaded into the grave. My brother in law, my nephew's 553 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:22,200 dad, very strong man of Italian background culture strong. 554 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:25,520 I mean really tough man. He's standing there. 555 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:29,600 And it was at that moment, as his son carried those 2 little 556 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:36,360 caskets, he broke and he burst into tears. 557 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:43,160 Couldn't hold them, couldn't hold them. 558 00:42:48,240 --> 00:43:00,680 Heaven wipes away those tears. Heaven removes the herd of that 559 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:04,680 situation. And I said to my nephew, after 560 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:12,720 that service, your two little girls will be waiting for you in 561 00:43:12,720 --> 00:43:16,320 heaven. Heaven. 562 00:43:21,580 --> 00:43:27,260 In heaven we are all children of God and in heaven we are all in 563 00:43:27,700 --> 00:43:32,080 the arms of God. Finally, it's that place, it's 564 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:39,440 that intimacy where actually God will hold us home as we rest in 565 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:42,560 His arms. I'm looking forward to that 566 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:47,800 rest. It's hard living here and He'll 567 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:53,400 wipe away every tear from every one of His children. 568 00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:58,800 No more tears. Our eyes will sparkle in heaven, 569 00:44:00,240 --> 00:44:05,280 but not because of tears, because of joy, our broken 570 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:08,560 hearts, our broken bodies. No more. 571 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:15,600 We will be surrounded by our saved loved ones and reunited 572 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:18,680 forever. No more death. 573 00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:26,120 You see eternity to live in the wonder and glory of God forever 574 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:28,640 and to enjoy this new amazing life. 575 00:44:28,720 --> 00:44:34,760 I tell you, why would you choose to reject the offer of heaven 576 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:39,840 through Jesus Christ? Why would you choose not to have 577 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:44,440 all this that we can't explain because it's so good, so 578 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:48,880 amazing, so wonderful that it's going to take all of eternity to 579 00:44:48,920 --> 00:44:54,360 unwrap for you to see, for you to touch, feel, enjoy, laugh, 580 00:44:54,480 --> 00:45:01,880 sing. Heaven, I want to ask you this 581 00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:07,040 morning as we close, are you this morning a citizen of 582 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:11,440 heaven? Are you thirsty? 583 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:16,800 Are you an overcomer because you've been invited? 584 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:23,600 No more death, sorrow nor weeping and more pain. 585 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:30,240 You see, when Noah had preached for 120 years and I feel a 586 00:45:30,240 --> 00:45:35,200 little bit like that today, people ignored his words. 587 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:38,040 Is this kind of rain judgements coming? 588 00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:42,080 I laughed. Then there came a day and God 589 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:45,600 said, Noah, get your wife, sons, they what? 590 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:49,600 Their wife go into the ark. You know what happened? 591 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:52,440 It says in Genesis, God closed the door. 592 00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:55,480 That was it. Noah didn't shut the door. 593 00:45:55,800 --> 00:46:00,880 God closed the door and the rain fell. 594 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:06,280 I pray with all my heart that if you're here today and you don't 595 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:10,880 know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, that this message 596 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:14,880 today, this time that you're in church today, that you'll 597 00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:22,560 remember with regret was the time that you were invited and 598 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:27,400 you said no and God closed the door.