Title/ New Heavens and a New Earth Text/ Isaiah 65:17-25 When we visit new places, where we’ve never been before, any kind of preliminary research is inevitable. You might ask me a number of questions if you get a chance to visit Korea. You will ask me about how the weather is like, if there’s any do’s and do-not’s, or what’s the best and worst tourist spots in the country, etc. Heading to your ‘never-been-before’ destination without any practical information might be the prelude of the worst trip ever in your life. Of course, I know you will never put yourself into such troubles by not collecting tourist information on your desired places. I know a Sydney-based Korean minister, who was in the process of ministerial training as a student pastor several years ago. Because he was eagerly anticipating to preach at any congregation to be an experienced pastor, he used to accept any casual offer and gave them sermons. He really didn’t care how big the congregation is, and how far the church is located. What an enthusiastic servant of God he is! But there was an issue. He was a perfectionist and a meticulous natured person, and he felt relieved only after visiting the place at least a day before the actual preaching day. I once heard his wife complaining that the whole family of three had to go to a small remote town of New South Wales, which is 4-hour drive two-way, on a Saturday as a ‘rehearsal drive’ for the following day. Of course, he did come home very late on Saturday and left home very early on Sunday. I think the pastor didn’t want to make any mistake with the God-given ministry chance by being lost in the middle of the unfamiliar journey. He felt so much gratitude and responsibility and didn’t spare his time, money and energy to visit the local churches before the sermons. I believe that knowing our destination can make our journey easier. You should collect as much as information on the final destination of your life, too. In order to make yourself ready, you are supposed to do your own research on your final home. Your home, as you know, is not here on earth. Your physical home may be in Thornbury or in any part of Melbourne, but your spirit does belong to the Lord in heaven. Our eternal home is up there in heaven, and we’re on the way there every single day. However, each of us has to examine our own faith in God before we get there. Unfortunately, not everyone in this world cannot be and will not be in God’s glorious kingdom. Only those who live in faith will be permitted to live in heaven. Only those who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness will be accepted as heaven’s citizens. Only those who put trust in the Lord will be saved by the Holy One of Israel. Therefore, it is worth investigating what the kingdom of God is like according to teachings of the Holy Bible. Today’s passage is well-known as the sub-title of “new heavens and a new earth.” It signifies that there is a whole new world that is waiting for the true believers of God, who are called “remnants” or the remainders. They may be abandoned by the secularised world like a stump of a tree, but God will use (or reuse) them because of their sincere faith in God. They had no chance to enjoy themselves in the idol-worshiping world, but the Most Holy One will give them second chances for everlasting happiness and blessings in the new heavens and in the new earth. Here is the picture of the new world that God had prepared and has promised exclusively for his faithful worshipers. From the second half of v. 19 to v. 25 is a glimpse of the new heavens and the new earth declared by God Himself through Prophet Isaiah; “19And there will no longer be heard in her. The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. 20No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed. 21They will build houses and inhabit them; they will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22They will not build and another inhabit, they will not plant and another eat; for as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. 23They will not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, and their descendants with them. 24It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpents food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain, says the LORD. (New American Standard Bible)” My dear friends, can you see the picture of the new heavens and the new earth that God has created for the remnant believers? Isn’t that enough to be a quality map of the new heavenly world that all of us are supposed to live in? It is a new world that is full of joy, longevity, restoration, reconciliation, peace and blessing, and most of all, it is given free of charge to every sincere believer of God. Apostle John, according to Revelation ch. 21, saw the vision of a new Jerusalem with new heavens and a new earth, and heard a loud voice from the throne of God, which was saying “3Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” New heavens and a new earth are waiting for us to come in. And we’ll be able to be accepted in there by living out God’s Word of truth and by appreciating the sacrificial love of His Son, Jesus Christ right in here. Thankfully, the chance to live in the new creation is open to anyone, but not everyone will be privileged to enjoy the permanent residency in there. The condition of entry into the new Jerusalem is written in the last two verses of Revelation ch. 21. “26The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it. 27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lambs book of life.” Sisters and brothers in Christ, I do hope you to remember this crucially important Bible verse for your own salvation and to examine your spiritual condition every single day. You’re allowed to come into the new creation only as a pure blameless spirit whose name is well written in the book of life. If you are not washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life of God Almighty, you cannot be eligible to be a permanent resident of God’s new world. You can only enter the gate of pearls after passing the paths of the cross. Without mercy, without faith, and without assurance, we cannot come into the new world that God has prepared for His blessed saints. The external characteristic of God’s kingdom is never-ending joy, whereas its internal characteristic is the cosmic restoration. We’ll be experiencing the joy of the new world in heaven after going through agonies and sorrows of this chaotic crooked world. Also, we’ll be able to see all creatures embracing one another and the whole universe working in the perfect harmony. In the brand new world of new heavens and a new earth, where no sin is found, we’ll be able to worship God forever with pure hearts and joyous minds. Until we finally reach the new land at the end of our days, let us keep searching, studying and practicing the restored life in our heavenly home, which is our common final destination. Like the pastor who used to drive in advance to the churches for the following Sundays, let us keep driving our faith in God towards the new Jerusalem. The preliminary visit is vital, and you can see and feel the kingdom of God by reading the Scriptures. I bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Nov. 17th, 2013 Sunday Worship)
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 08:12:18 +0000
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