Encore : There's a Better World Coming!

Everybody Greg Laurie here. You're listening to the Grigori podcast and my objective is to deliver hopefully compelling practical insights and faith culture and current events. From a biblical perspective to find out more about our ministry.

Just go to our website harvest.org so thanks for joining me for this podcast. Welcome back to Harvest at Home. I have a message that's titled there's a better world economy.

This is a little series were doing on the end times and so let's talk about our future.

So grab your Bibles and turn to Revelation chapter 21 and while you're turning their like you to pray with me if you would please let's pray father you told us in the book of Revelation that there is a special blessing promised to the person who reads, hears and keeps the words of this book will Lord we want that blessing and we ask you to bless our time as we read these words help us to hear these words of most of all, help us to keep them in Jesus name we pray. Again, the title of the message. There's a better world coming to know. It's always exciting to get a new version of something that is not like the new iPhone or the new android phone, people waited in lines. I have the latest addition.

Or maybe it's something else and see what your favorite TV show has a new season. Another something you overrun Netflix or it's a new shirt or new whatever it is. New things are cool and how about a new car. There is nothing better than the new car smell. I have a friend who got a new car and I was in that the other day and it just had that luxurious new car smell so I left a burrito and it just the kind of you know, bring him back to reality again will figure it out. About a month of seriously but we like things new.

In fact, advertisers have figured out that they put the words new and improved on a product that will make you want to buy now. The fact is the only thing new and improved may be for the packaging, but still were attracted to the idea of newness will guess what God loves new things to and in his case, it's not false advertising. He's telling us what our future is and it's really going to be new and improved. Because yes, a better world is coming.

Let me pick up where I left off last time we talked about the antichrist. You remember who inaugurates the great tribulation. We talked about the fact that COBIT 19 is a stage setting.

If you will, of the end time scenario known as the great tribulation. The Bible says there will be an increase of flags. The Bible also tells us that the state will be under the control and rule of the Antichrist and the world will have the final conflict there. In the battle of Armageddon. The Bible tells us in the last days there would be violence in our streets now are we not seeing that right now in America it's foreshadowing what is yet to come. It's going to get worse in the great tribulation. But we have not started that. Yet that is inaugurated with the emergence of antichrist but the Bible does tell us in second Timothy in the last days perilous times would come in the word perilous is an interesting word. It means difficult and it is the same word that is used to describe demon possessed men in Matthew six were fears, dishes, violent or savage. So effectively scriptures same in the last days there will be violent, savage time. Noah was effectively a last days believer. His last days were before the flood before the judgment of God came and Jesus said, as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be when the Son of Man returns won't looking back at the days of Noah were read in Genesis chapter 6 verses five and 11. The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become in every inclination of the thought of the human heart was evil all the time. The earth was filled with violence. And God warned the people of Noah's time to turn from their sin and God is warning the people of our time as well that judgment is ultimately going to come in the door of that art shut in one day.

The final chance will be given and then judgment will come and that is the second coming so next event of the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church that comes from the root word harp.

Also, when Christ will catch up all true believers to heaven.

The rapture is when he comes as a thief in the night on the heels of the rapture and really not until after the rapture we have the emergence of the coming world leader known as antichrist, the beast, the son of perdition. All titles for him in the Bible and he comes off initially as a man of peace at the halfway point of the great tribulation. After he has rebuilt the temple for the Jewish people. He commits what Christ calls the abomination of desolation. He effectively desecrates the temple in the final part of the tribulation is when he imposes his mark on people establishes martial law known come by yourself without the mark of the beast and everything culminates in the battle of them Armageddon and then Christ comes back and establishes the millennium, the millennium and means 1000 what is that going to be like bullets talk about that number one in the millennium, which is the 1000 year reign of Christ where Satan is chained up. We know this, there will be world peace world peace. No more war no more terrorism no more nuclear weapons. Isaiah 24. This time, says the Lord will settle international disputes.

All the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. All wars will stop in military training will come to an end. Won't that be awesome.

We we won't need the military any longer.

Imagine that number two in the millennium the thousand year reign of Christ. There will be joy and happiness, and no more disabilities. My speaking to someone right now who has a disability and your wheelchair-bound and maybe your wheelchair free like my friend Catherine Wolf says she had a severe stroke and found herself confined to a wheelchair, but she says I don't like the phrase wheelchair-bound because I've never been more free in my life spiritually, but whatever it is, a view of a disability. I'm sure you would love to not have it any longer and in the millennium when Christ rules. We know that those disabilities are gone. Isaiah 35 five says when he comes so open the eyes of the blind. Unstop the ears of the deaf, the lame will leap like a deer in those who cannot speak will shout and sing a glorious that day will be also in this millennial reign of Christ.

People will live super long lives. Isaiah 6520 says. No longer will babies die when their only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they've lived a full life. No longer will people be considered: 100 and like the sound of that I read about a woman whose name was Emma Marino and at that moment she was the longest living woman on earth. She made it to 117 years so she she credited her longevity to the following.

Every day she ate two eggs but not cooked eggs.

She ate two raw eggs and also cookies and she was quoted to say what I don't eat much because I don't have any tea. I guess that's her secret. But then there's another woman only 116 years old who credited her longevity to eating bacon dealing. I like this girl. She had a steady diet of bacon, eggs and grits for breakfast. There was a much younger man who made it to 110 years old, never sick a day in his life and he said the key was garlic, honey, cinnamon and all of oil and his dad gave him a stern warning as a young man he said never eat hot dogs and he never did. But then I read about another dude that lived really a long life as well and he said the secret to his longevity was hotdogs. Here is what I find interesting raw eggs cookies bacon no tofu and no kale in any of these diet so I'm coming up with a new diet that will help me live longer, bacon, eggs, cheese on about raw eggs all take them cut cookies are good hotdogs for sure, but seriously, though, the Lord will extend the human life number four in the millennial reign of Christ, the animal kingdom will be subdued. This is good news to me because I'm an animal lover I pretty much had every animal you can have five head. Many dogs about all kinds of birds. I've had parakeets and finches in and cockatiel's and even parents and then I've gone through all the reptiles about all kinds of snakes, large and small, and lizards and turtles and even some amphibians and then I've had lots of tropical fish and then I've had all kinds of little creatures like guinea pigs and hamsters and mice and rats and I have to add that one of the best, but the ball is a rat. They can be very nice.

I don't mean the kind you find out in the street so hopefully when you get from a pet shop that you can take about all of these little animals I've never had a cat by the way I do know that ever will. But here's what the Bible says about the millennial reign of Christ. This is a wolf and the lamb will be together in a little child will lead them. Isaiah 11, 6 to 9 the wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard will sleep with the kid, the calf and the lion will eat from the same trough and a little child will tend them on ice.

I would be so your little kids is a mom I'm in a garden. Take the lion for a walk. I may even ride the lion and mom is a okay have a good time.

No worries.

This is the millennial reign of Christ.

Also, there's going to be number five universal justice and righteousness in Christ is raining some 72 two says God will judge his people and righteousness and the afflicted ones with justice will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy. No more corrupt lawyers, corrupt judges, corrupt police officers no more injustice no more frivolous lawsuits.

No more theft or looting or even spam calls. No spam calls the millennial reign of Christ, no acts of racism, of any kind will be justice for everyone. Number six. The curse that came upon the world because of sin will be lifted were told in Romans 819. All creation is waiting eagerly for the future day when God revealed to his children really are. Everything on earth has been subjected to the curse of God, but all creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay, so people won't age people won't have the effects of sickness in their life and seven holiness will prevail. Today, the opposite of holiness prevails. Evil is celebrated.

Goodness is made fun of, but there's going to be holiness in these days. Isaiah 35, eight, says the main road going to the once deserted land will be a highway of holiness and evil hearted people never travel on it and I was in North Carolina not too long ago and they have a highway there freeway called the Billy Graham Parkway that's a cool thing to drive on a Parkway, a dedicated to North Carolina's favorite son of the greatest evangelists. I think in human history. Billy Graham, so this is even better than the Billy Graham Parkway. This is a highway of holiness and at the end of the millennium. Heaven and earth effectively become one. Let's look at another passage.

Also, in Revelation Revelation 21.

I like to read verses 1 to 6 with you it says. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there was no more sea and I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle or the dwelling place of God is with man, and he will dwell with them, and they will be as people, and God himself will be there God while I've ever heard the expression out was just like heaven on earth. Maybe it was a beautiful sunset you saw in Hawaii. Maybe it was being out in nature in the forest somewhere, looking at the stars at night. Maybe it was the best restaurant you ever went to and had the best meal you've ever eaten any of so how can I describe it.

It was like heaven on earth will one day it is going to be literally heaven on earth, heaven and earth are going to merge together. Sometimes he will say, you know, as a Christian all dying go to heaven and live there with Jesus forever. Well that's actually not technically accurate. Yes, if you're a Christian when you die you will go to heaven but you won't stay there forever because the Scripture teaches that heaven is going to come down to earth one day fact over in Ephesians 110 it says God's plan is to bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head, even Christ, my friend, Randy Alcorn is written a lot of great books but I think the greatest of all of his books is simply titled heaven and in it he makes a statement and I quote, we won't go to heaven and levers behind. Rather, God will bring heaven and earth together into this same dimension with no wall of separation. No armed angels. The guard heaven's perfection from sinful mankind." Jesus will make earth and the heaven, and heaven and earth, even as that wall of separation that separated us from God called sin will be broken down, so also will that wall that divides heaven and earth be broken down into a new world that's coming. It's a better world that is coming, but it is not as SQL.

It's a remake here's another detail given to us in the Bible when God brings the new earth about the be no more ocean surfers. What can I say good load do not stoked about that and all actually know. I don't know any server that talk that way. By the way, when people do imitations of Californians. It's always a good Willow dude get will bungalow you know of no one talks that way. But if it makes you happy. Go ahead and mock us here in California we can take it that seriously surfer dudes there won't be any ocean.

I know that's depressing.

But if God take something away. He'll only give you something more amazing in its place and so just think about how great this is all going to be now at this moment. Two thirds of the earth's surface is covered with water.

The remaining one third has large areas that are rendered worthless because of mountains and deserts.

There's only a small portion of the earth's surface that is inhabitable, but when God establishes his kingdom all of those barriers that separate us now will be gone. The barriers that separate nations will be gone. The barriers that separate areas where people live will be gone will be no divisions at all and I might add Bill be no racial divisions either we get to heaven. The Bible tells us in Revelation 7 there's a great multitude, which no man can number from every nation, from all the tribes and the languages standing before the throne people clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands and so everyone's going to be there from every nation, from every race is going to be a glorious day and we will be reunited with loved ones who have proceeded us to heaven. Do you have someone that you love that is in heaven right now. Maybe a mom or a dad. Maybe a grandparent could be a spouse could even be a child and you miss them so deeply to snow this. They're not just a part of your past. They will also be a part of your future and you will be able to personally meet the great heroes of the Bible like Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Elijah are all there.

Even Sarah Ruth and Mary, David, no Jonah, Peter, James and John and then more contemporary Christian heroes like William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, CH Spurgeon DL Moody CS Lewis Martin Luther King.

The list just goes on and on, you'll be able to hang out with these people spend time with them. And of course you'll be with the Lord himself. That is the most important thing of the afterlife is being with Jesus in this closeness to him. You will have open access to the throne of God. Revelation 21 three we read these words I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle or dwelling place of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they will be as people, and God will be with them and he will be there God I imagine this for a moment, you can approach them at any time open access to the very presence of God. No appointment needed years ago we booked the entire part of Disneyland for a Christian event. It was really a lot of fun. I have to say on every stage in the park I we had a Christian band with an evangelist. I actually stood over and Tom Sawyer's island and preach the gospel.

It was kind of a surreal moment standing there looking at the Matterhorn in the distance and with like 15,000 people on the other side watching and listening. I told them how to come to Christ and many did. And we did all of our counseling in the Golden horseshoe theater not far from Tom Sawyer's island. But up before we open this event, or the public. They had all the public leave and they were getting the park cleaned up for our special event and I was able to get in early and have the whole place to myself this is like a kids dream come true just walking around and Disneyland, not fighting crowds looking at everything I can get on this right. I get try this other think it was so amazing. But imagine you're in heaven with open access to God, no barriers, nothing restricting you.

It's the ultimate E ticket you know what that means and means are all because kids a long time ago before you bought season passes for Disneyland. We bought little ticket books and the ticket books.

There was a ticket called the E ticket and that got you on the really fast rides and that they like the Matterhorn and others, and so it's the ultimate E ticket ride ultimate access to God. Kim self one more passage you want to read Revelation 21 four God will wipe away every tear from their eyes will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying will be no more pain for the former things are passed away, he that's out of the throne said, behold I make all things new.

So write these words down.

He said it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. Hello what it says in verse five God speaking, behold I make all things new. Effectively, it's out with the old, in with the new no more terminal diseases. No more hospitals, no more wheelchairs no more funerals, no more suffering no more separations no more accidents, no more courts or prisons.

No more divorces or breakdowns or break ups. No more suicide no more rate. No more missing children, no more drug problems. No more heart attacks or strokes or Alzheimer's or cancer. No more famines or disaster. God is making all things new and the way he states this is as though it were in the past tense.

Notice it says in verse six and he said to me, it is done by winning minutes.reading a book that's telling me about the future.

Remember Revelation is like being put into a spiritual time machine and being catapulted in the future if you're standing in the sandals of John the apostle on the island of Patmos. He was seen his future, which in some cases is our present and in other cases is still our future.

He's taking it all in, but God speaks of it as though it's already done. He says it is done it is finish there's a finality there.

Literally, they have become done. That text is in a perfect indicative tense to say this is a secure thing got insane. You can take this to the bank again as I reminded you before God lives in the eternal realm so he can see the past with accuracy and he can see the future with the same accuracy is kind of a mind blowing little verse of Ecclesiastes 315 it says whatever is happening in the past is present now. Whatever is going to happen in the future has already happened in the past year like what that's God's perspective it's all the same to him. So when he says something is going to happen. You can know it's going to happen is able. Greg, this is all great okay heaven and earth to get to become one will get to hang out with all kinds of dangerous creatures and and I will have peace and here's how it should affect you. You should be thinking about the afterlife. The only way to live the best life in this life is to always be aware of the nearness of the after life. Using the CS Lewis once put it, loose paraphrase those who think most of the next world to the most in this one so I want you to think heaven is a will, Greg. I've never been to heaven well you've just had a glimpse of heaven from Scripture. Remember Revelation means unveiling the Lord is shown you what is in your future.

So think about heaven.

Think about the afterlife is Colossians 3 says you been raised with Christ so set your hearts on things above for Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Set your minds. That phrase means to actively seek or have this inner disposition rose one translation puts it, not like this translation think heaven, what you spend most of your time thinking about listen you are the air controller of your mind, you decide what plane lands where and when you decide what thoughts come in and what thoughts stay out. The problem is is if you give the devil an inch.

He's going to take a mile. So guard your minds and think about heavenly things. Think about spiritual things. Think heaven. Yes, our feet must be on earth, but our minds must be in heaven. I mean, do we really believe this, we sit here we listen to a message like this and I ask you as I'm closing. Do you really believe the Bible is true. Do you really believe that there is an afterlife. Do you really believe there is a heaven waiting for those that believe in Jesus and a hell waiting there for those that reject him. You really believe that these things are accurate. If so let me ask you a question.

One. The last time you told someone about Jesus. I hope it's recent because people need to hear this message that we are sharing. Let me conclude with this thought.

Jesus says behold I make all things new. Are you feeling worn out beat up and even old and I remember at the age of 17. This is 20 years ago. Okay 50 years ago when I was 17 I member I felt like I was 76. Greg why well because of my upbringing, my mother was a raging alcoholic she'd been married and divorced seven times either grow fast and to kind of take care of her was like I was more the parent the relationship than she was and I and trying to take care of her.

I got into my own bad choices in life and drinking and drugs and by the time I hit 17 I felt like I was sold and I was so empty and I was so sad and I was burdened with sin and had a big hole in my heart and then on my high school campus I heard about Jesus Christ heard that there was a God in heaven who love me know. Look, I always believed in Jesus. I'd seen all of his movies. I was a big fan, but I never thought of Jesus as someone that can be known in this life. I just thought of him as a historical figure who was amazing. It's really too bad how we die. I mean, I love the story of Jesus.

I love movies about Jesus, but I always thought someone should rewrite the ending to get rid of that whole crucifixion. Pardon and just let him do miracles and give great teachings and ascend to heaven will actually after I became a believer, I realize that the crucifixion part was the whole point of the story he was born to die, that we might live. Jesus left heaven and came to the earth on rescue operation to be born in a manger in Bethlehem, then to live a perfect life and ultimately did die a perfect death on the cross for our sins because were all separated from God. The memo and I heard that as a kid in high school.

In 17 I thought well I wish I could do this but I don't think it will work for me.

I'm not the religious type. I thought just what God is not looking for the religious type. God is looking for the sinner type and you qualify and I qualify, we all do, and I heard that promise a God love me and that Christ would come and live inside of me that he would forgive me of all of my sin and I took a little step of faith that day and I prayed a little prayer right there. My high school campus asking Christ to come in to my life and I'll be honest with you outright prayed that prayer I felt absolutely nothing, but I wanted to be something that is the day Jesus came into my life and he satisfied the thirst in my soul that I tried to satisfy with other things and he'll do the same thing for you.

Listen to these words of the Lord in Revelation 21 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. Are you thirsty right now. Spiritually, Jesus encountered a woman at a well she'd been married and divorced five times my mom seven the solidified and she was living with some dude at the moment and so she probably thought men would fill the void in her life as she set up by a well Jesus said this. If you drink of this water you will thirst again with every drink of the water that I give you'll never thirst again. I think he was using that well is a metaphor for her life. She had tried to satisfy her inner thirst with relationships of you done the same.

Some try to do it with possessions.

Others try to do it with pain.

They want to be instant famous others try to do it with drugs or alcohol. Others try to satisfy that thirst with even religion. Try to be a pious person. None of those things will work. You need Jesus. Jesus is the answer is they will have what's the question. The question is what can I happen to you in the afterlife without Telluride view of Christ living inside of you don't have to be afraid. A few moments ago I mentioned, there is the hope of heaven.

For the believer and there's also the reality of hell yes there is hell. When I wasn't created for people. According to Jesus, it was created for the devil and his angels. If you reject God's offer of forgiveness and you wind up in the place called hell you love no one to blame and the final day but yourself because the gates of hell are locked from the inside. You will have sent yourself thereby your rejection of the offer of God. Would you like to be forgiven of your sin. Would you like to know that you will go to heaven when you die.

Would you like to satisfy your inner spiritual thirst. Would you like to have your guild taken away the answer to those questions is yes is what you need to know. Jesus died on the cross for you.

He rose again from the dead three days later and he stands now at the door of your life in the Knox and he says if you hear his voice and open the door he will come in. You can ask Christ to come in your life and this can be the greatest day of your life because he's only a prayer away. If you want Jesus to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to know that you will go to heaven when you die, I want you to pray a prayer with me right here right now you just pray this prayer after me. This is a prayer of asking Jesus to come into your life. Let's pray this prayer. These words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that sure the Savior who died on the cross for my sin rose again from the dead.

I turn from my sin. Now, and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Savior and my Lord is my God and my friend in Jesus name I pray, amen. Everybody Greg Laurie here.

Thanks for listening to our podcast in the learn more about harvest ministries. Please subscribe and consider supporting this show. Just go to harvest.org and by the way, if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God. Go to know God.org that's key NOW GLD.org