Sermon Tone Analysis

Textual Idea – The Apostle John presents five blessings of Heaven God promises to believers.

Sermon Idea – Christians need to be reminded to keep Heaven in mind as they live in a fallen world.

Interrogative – Why is it important for believers to keep Heaven in mind?

Transition w/ key word – Our text presents five blessings of Heaven God promises to believers.

(We’ll look at 4 today).

Note the blessing of…

God’s glorious presence - vs. 1-3 God’s glorious provision - vs. 4-5 God’s glorious promises - vs. 6-7 God’s glorious protection - vs. 8

Introduction – As I was studying this passage for these next two sermons on Heaven, I was convicted it’s been a while since we sang hymns on Heaven.

(Vance & team sang a new song by Phil Wickham called hymn of Heaven?)

I know we’ve sung these and while I didn’t check on when, I figured we need to anyway.

So I want you to take your hymnals and turn to #600, 601, 603.

(Roy will play).

If you know the parts sing it, direct ladies and men on #603 chorus.

Throughout the history of the church, God’s people have rightly been focused on Heaven.

Did you know the Bible challenges us to focus on Heaven?

Heaven is mentioned in Scripture more than 500 times and in Revelation alone about 50 times.

The OT saints looked forward to Heaven according Heb.

11:13, 16.

Why?

Because it’s where God dwells!

The Psalmist said in Ps. 73:25-26 “Whom have I in Heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

My flesh & heart fail but God is the strength of my heart & my portion forever.”

(Title Slide) We don’t talk about Heaven as near as much as we ought to as believers in our everyday lives.

Paul said in Phil.

3:20 “Our citizenship is in heaven” & to the Colossian believers he said: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things of earth.

3 For you died, and your life is hidden in Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory!” (Col.

3:1-4).

Christ is our life and being in His presence and focused on Him is as critical as oxygen for us to breath or as critical as water to a fish!

Well for the next two Sundays, I want us to focus on Heaven from Rev. 21-22 with a two-part message called “The Blessings of Heaven.”

I wasn’t able to have the outline complete but it’s simple for you to follow today & I encourage you to take notes as we’re going to see 4 of 5 blessings of Heaven God promises to believers.

We note first of all the blessing of…

(Read Text as we go).

1. God’s glorious presence - vs. 1-3

Explanation - John uses the phrase “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away.”

That phrase again speaks that John’s vision is in chronological sequence.

God has swiftly & effectively judged the earth and carried out the sentence for Satan & his crowd.

Gen. 1:1 tells us “In the beginning, God created the Heavens & the Earth.”

We know all too well God’ perfect creation was corrupted beyond measure with the rebellion of Adam & Eve against God.

We’re told in Rom.

8:21-22 “Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole of creation groans & labors with birth pangs together until now.”

We spoke recently how the world as we know it will but destroyed and burned up with fervent heat as the Apostle Peter said in (Verse Slide) 2nd Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

(Picture Slide) Out of necessity, God will create a new heavens and new earth.

This has been God’s promise even back to Isaiah!

Is. 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.”

The first evidence of a completely new heaven and earth John saw was there was no more sea.

As much as I love the ocean and going to the beach, the seas will be no more!

This is a startling change to the current earth, 3/4ths of it is currently covered by water.

Earlier, we saw the destruction of the 1/3 of the sea becoming blood with the 2nd trumpet judgment in 8:8.

The rest of the oceans were destroyed with the 2nd bowl judgment in 16:3 when they became blood.

Currently the earth is dependent upon water for survival, but that will not be necessary in the new heavens and earth.

Without the hydrological cycle, evaporation of water from the seas to rain, every feature of life will be dramatically different including the climate.

It’s interesting the ocean was what kept the aged Apostle John prisoner on the isle of Patmos as sure as iron bars on prison doors.

One commentator said the oceans picture upheaval, unrest, violence and rebellion against God from the old order.

In 13:1, John saw Antichrist, rise up out of the sea.

It makes sense because God destroyed earth with a world-wide flood because of the wickedness of mankind in Gen. 6.

The world-wide flood fundamentally changed God’s creation and where the oceans came from in the first place.

John made his living on the Sea of Galilee before Jesus called him.

He’d had plenty of scary experiences on that fresh water lake and now the ocean held him captive from the churches of Asia.

The sea is the first of 7 evils John saw no longer existing (death, mourning, weeping, pain, the curse, and night).

Vs. 2 - The capital city of the new heavens & earth, the New Jerusalem coming down like a bride adorned for her husband.

Seeing a bride standing in the back of the church in her wedding gown is a beautiful sight and how John described her glory.

Vs. 3 The most important blessing of Heaven - God’s presence.

Another loud voice makes this important announcement.

The tabernacle of God is among men.

God will pitch His tent among the people.

Jesus said in Matt.

5:5 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Even Moses on Mount Sinai was only allowed to see the back side of God’s glory as it passed by.

No human will have ever seen the true glory of God until the new heavens and new earth when we’re in God’s presence in our resurrected glorified body.

Jesus prayed in His High Priestly prayer in John 17:24 for believers to see the glory given to Him by the Father.

Jesus also famously promised in John 14:1-3 He was going to prepare a place for us, mansions, that where I am there you may be also."

We will be His people, and He will be our God.

Oh the blessings of Heaven when we’re finally in God’s glorious presence!

Not only do we have the blessing of God’s glorious presence, notice the blessings of…

2. God’s glorious provision - vs. 4

Explanation - God provides His own divine comfort to His children after a lifetime of sorrow in a cursed and fallen world.

In context from our study last week, after the millennial 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth, the shock and awe of the final rebellion led by Satan against God and seeing the lost of all eternity judged at the great white throne judgment, I can’t even fathom the emotion of seeing millions people doomed to Hell for all eternity separated from the Lord Jesus Christ.

These people doomed themselves by rejecting Jesus Christ & His offer of salvation, but it’s still tragically sad and overwhelming.

Yet God promises 7 things He will provide to us (5 in vs. 4 & 2 more in 22:5).

(Slides)

Wipe away every tear from their eyes.

4a

Maybe it’s tears from the judgment of the lost, maybe it’s tears of overwhelming gratitude at the grace and mercy of God, but God promises to wipe away every tear!

Tears of past trauma, tears from scars we can’t even talk about.

God views and values our tears.

When David was captured by the Philistines, he wrote in Psalm 56:8: “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?”

No more death – Vs. 4a

No more cancerous tumors sucking the life out of people we know and love.

No more China virus or anything else that kills people we know and love.

No more hospice care, no more need for undertakers, no more funerals, no more graveside speeches that sound so shallow!

Over 20 years of ministry, I’ve done way more funerals than weddings.

The stress and emotional toll on pastors doing funerals is exhausting!

I’ve buried 75 people since becoming a Pastor including my own granddaughter Addison, my dad, and most recently our beloved brother David Blankenship!

No more death in Heaven by the grace of God!

No more sorrow - vs. 4b There won’t be any grief share classes in Heaven!

Lori won’t be mailing any more grief books for me to church members who’ve lost loved ones.

No more crying - 4c No more tears from being abused, no more tears for wayward & rebellious children or grandchildren.

No more tears in labor will be shed at the loss of children or miscarried babies.

No more crying from the heartache of sin and grieving the heart of God.

No more pain - 4d Having made lots and lots of hospital visits and hospice care visits as a pastor, I’ve seen God’s people endure lots and lots of pain!