Heaven on Earth - Part 3: When Politics are Perfect - Part B

The millennial kingdom people ruling and reigning with Christ the rest of the dead live till after the thousand years or so they could resurrect which means that the millennium begins with all believers, all those enter into the millennium are either resurrected same or mortals were believers and made it through to the end of the no unbelief. Believers died there waiting for judgment. The world will be a better place, but it won't happen to people or government connect with Skip right scriptures about a perfect future kingdom.

You can be a part when Christ loses your state after the message and Skip his wife when shareholder can cultivate beauty and grace to share Jesus love with others. We should feel like we have to rebuke or robot or correct every opposing voice of every opinion. I mean you and your family share very different political views color and and yet you have wonderful winsome warm relationships and conversations. Thank you, Skip when you be sure to stay with us after today's message to the full discussion right now want to tell you about a resource that will help you overcome your internal struggles so you can experience transformation. I've enjoyed watching the growth in the ministry of my friend Levi Luscombe this month's connect with Skip resource.

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If now the millennialist is the kingdom of God millennium that where are the Old Testament saints reigning where the 12 apostles administering the 12 tribes of Israel.

You get into all sorts of interpretive quagmire. When you go that route. While we have Old Testament saints reigning we have the apostles given special administrative duty.

Also, the New Testament says that New Testament believers will also rule and reign. First Corinthians chapter 6 get this.

Paul writes, don't you realize that someday we believers will judge the world. Well, judge the world. He goes on to say, don't you realize that we will judge angels think some of the Angels are too crazy about that notion, but that's what it says in second Timothy chapter 2 verse 12, Paul writes to Timothy, if we endure, we shall also reign with him. And there are many many many passages that say that we just don't have enough time this morning to go to all of them but here's a final one in Revelation 5 when the church is gathered together and were singing in anthem to God among our lyrics and that song are these for you have made us kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth, so it couldn't be any more clear than that Old Testament saints, apostles and New Testament believers are going to be vague in them ruling is able skip. You left out a group. You're right that fourth group is mentioned in this verse noticed the second sentence and I saw the souls of them who had been beheaded.

So it's as if to say there included, but they're not the only group who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God would not worship the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. And they lived so they die they were part of another resurrected. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. So all the tribulation believers who are martyred will also be among the they of them. In other words, all the resurrected saints of all the ages will be ruling and reigning with Christ.

Verse six to sort of underscore that blessed and holy is he who was part in the first resurrection. I'll explain in a minute.

Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him thousand years. So all of them Old Testament saints glorified New Testament saints glorified resurrected tribulation saints martyred glorified resurrected and the apostles will all share in that administrative government, then and only then will there be justice in the courts, then there will be law on the streets. Then there will be truth in the media, then book stands will be filled with self but with truth and righteousness and the media will project that which is true and holy. Now some of you at this point might be thinking man, that sounds like a lot of work was some idea of heaven. You think and I work now and I hope to retire when all the work is behind me and maybe you have thought that heaven is like one eternal vacation where you do nothing. So you hear all this stuff about ruling and reigning unit thinking I got a work this is not my idea of heaven will might not be but it's God's idea of heaven.

And keep in mind you're going to be glorified will be in a resurrected body.

You can have the energy in the VM and usefulness. Maybe once had. This could be fun. There's some insight perhaps into that Jesus said in Luke 19. I will say to them, well done good and faithful servant because you've been trustworthy in a very small matter.

Now, take charge of 10 cities to another.

I will say well done good and faithful servant and faithful in a few things now take charge of five cities you can say luck I really don't want to rule anything on the good of being in charge while you think you're going to mess up any more than what has been done already on this earth number two. Do you think the apostles are like the they're not the brightest bulbs in the bunch and negative administrate the 12 tribes of Israel. So keep in mind again. You're gonna be in a glorified resurrected renewed state and your capacities will be very different, so in some capacity working to be ruling and reigning having administrative duties carrying out the will of the ultimate sovereign authority Jesus Christ somewhere on this earth, let me just say now for the record, I get dibs on Maui I want to get that out there right now, Oracle, i.e., either one. I'll take either one of those two islands. Vehicle placed at jurisdictional look at verse five verse five verse five takes this to 1/3 condition that underscores the political framework and that is what I'm calling social stability. Let's look at but the rest of the dead did not live again or get resurrected until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is US part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power for the rest of the think about if the Old Testament saints who are dead have been resurrected and are reigning. If the New Testament saints who have died in a resurrected and reigning. If the tribulation martyred believers are now resurrected in the apostles who have died in a resurrected who does that leave unbelievers.

Unbelievers the rest of the dead keep this in mind there's not just a resurrection for believers. There is a resurrection for unbelievers as well so that they can eternally endure what God meets out to them in terms of judgment and condemnation. Look at verse 11 tells us their fate and I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them and I saw the dead, the rest of the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged according to their works, by the things that are written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them and they were judged, each one according to his works and then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

So John, who writes this book. John tells us calls the believers resurrection to life. The first resurrection which would mean the second resurrection. A thousand years later for unbelievers is the second resurrection.

This is consistent with all of Scripture. Daniel chapter 2 or 12 verse two. The prophet writes many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, that's resurrection, some to everlasting life. First resurrection, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. That's the second resurrection. Jesus said the same thing. John chapter 5 verse 28 for the hour is coming, in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth with resurrection. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life is the first resurrection.

Those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. That's the second resurrection is my point. Entering into the millennial kingdom people ruling and reigning with Christ. But the rest of the dead didn't live till after the thousand years. That's when they get resurrected, which means that the millennium begins with all believers, all those who enter into the millennium are either resurrected saints or mortals who were believers and made it through to the end of the tribulation.

No unbelievers and believers have died and there waiting their judgment.

So what happened to them all.

Well, they were destroyed by the cataclysmic catastrophic judgments of the tribulation. And if you've ever read that book you know that one judgment. 1/3 of mankind is destroyed and another fourth of mankind is destroyed either died. Then, or they were executed at the battle of Armageddon. Chapter 19 or they were banished in the sheep and goat judgment judgment of the nations outlined in Matthew 25 so there God also who's bound for a thousand years. Saints if you get all unbelievers out of the way and Satan banished for thousand years.

You now have extremely stable social conditions. Right extreme social stability.

Isaiah put it this way, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God. As waters cover the sea and to boot all of the politicians are going to be resurrected.

Saints I know it's real hard to imagine there were three guys that were having an argument. They were trying to argue about whose profession was the oldest profession in the first one to speak with the surgeon. He said well mine is the oldest profession because we read in the Bible that that God carved a rib out of Adam and made a woman so that makes my profession, that of a surgeon. The oldest on earth. The second guy among the three was an engineer is that I go back further, the Bible says that in six days. God created the earth out of chaos is the job of an engineer with the third guy in the group was a politician who we heard that smile real big and said who created the chaos will there will be chaos for that thousand years because it will be the resurrected believers, apostles, Old Testament, New Testament martyred tribulation saints glorified resurrected who will monitor and help and adjudicate all of those mortals who are on the earth. During that time to populate the earth and there's gonna be generations born in more generations born in the thousand years of repopulating the planet. Now those mortals don't all believers will have children who also have a free will and grandchildren and great-grandchildren also have a free will and they'll have the chance to receive or reject Jesus Christ, and some will receive and some will reject because we read here in our text of it on time to go through today. There will be a rebellion, even at the end of the thousand year now. Last couple days. I know he's been watching some of yourselves I been watching the Olympics. I love watching the Olympics and the camera angles they have there like much cooler. Every time a new Olympics is on right what I read it interesting little article that said the security in Beijing is so tight they've installed 300,000 security cameras to cover every inch of Beijing and the software employed in the 300,000 cameras they have face recognition software. This is the highest tech security ever. Plus they have 30,000 police officers and army roaming the streets top security the other night was the opening ceremony did need to catch that 90,000 people 203 nations.

Their flight was beautiful in the audience. Our president Vladimir Putin, the head of state of Japan prime ministers from around the world. All of these different politicians who may not agree and may not get together under any circumstance, but there they are together was almost as if it were a little smidgen of the millennium and I was deceiving myself maybe for moment I'm thinking of there's peace and there's unity and there's all these leaders course that was all shattered by reading the paper the next day when there was a murder that took place of an American bioterrorist and his tour guide was also murdered.

So with all of the security personnel all of the cameras didn't exist. There will be peace and security and how it's all been a work I don't know you know I gotta tell you, my mind sorta goes to a movie that was put out a few years ago, the minority report. Anybody see that embrace Cardinals IMC's movies so I'm one of the premises that there's these pre-cogs and they can they can tell of a violent crime is about to be committed that they can see sort of the thoughts of people in need before it's committed to stop it.

I don't know what kind of capacities were all going to have as resurrected beings during the thousand years on earth must be pretty special because were to rule and reign with him. The Bible says, with a rod of iron.

It's an ironclad immediate judicial reign. Very very cool.

Let's look at verse six and finish this off the fourth and final mark politically.

During this period is there's a spiritual invincibility. Look at verse six.

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection mentioned in verse five also over such the second death is what happens to unbelievers has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, your to face the first resurrection. The resurrection to life will never face ever eternal death, and this is an answer to a question I got a couple weeks ago and somebody said so, how does it work like in the millennium are we to be able to like blow it and send and then then we get banished no way you have glorified resurrected body without the capacity to sin without the capacity to sin. There's no little trial. Were you know what I gave you those five cities you really blew it big time you're out here. Not at all at this point you're spiritually invincible. You'll never be judge for sin, you will always be serving him as Paul wrote, he will save us from the wrath that is to come. So this leaves a question that I have been well skirting or putting off for a few weeks. Here's a question okay so with all this perfection on earth thousand years, peace why verse seven. Why would God allow verse seven and when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.

I gotta tell you I'll be honest, I don't like that verse. This is one of the imponderables of Scripture. But I love with Dr. Lewis Perry Schaefer who was the dean of Dallas seminary once it if you tell me why God released him the first time that I'll tell you why God releases in the second. I think there's good wisdom in that.

Probably for the same reasons or at least in part, gonna give you an answer. And I've been saying for a couple weeks will look at that next garlic about next watt runner weeks so I gotta give you something and you probably won't be a satisfying answer. There's a couple things I can think number one this is going to demonstrate that even after a thousand years of incarceration, the nature of the devil has not changed. He still rubble.

He wants to bring people down.

He wants to disgrace God and he will start a rebellion and instruction number two. This is going to demonstrate that the essential nature and character of man doesn't change either, even in the perfect environment even in utopia were all the weapons are banished and turned into agricultural implements with there's peace in utopia in a for years, people said well if you just put a person in the perfect environment there to act perfect organ have a perfect environment, and yet some will choose to go in this rebellion. The rest of these verses say Jeremiah was right. The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. So I have a suggestion since it says in verse six Blessed and holy is he was part of the first resurrection is my suggestion.

Make sure you take part in the first resurrection how I do that by today, here and now. Making the choice to receive Christ as Savior and Lord.

There's a little formula that I've used. Based on this verse goes like this you're born on shall die twice you're born twice, shall die once all explained very simply, if you're only born once in obviously we all have been because here we are living and breathing if you only born once physically but never reborn spiritually. John chapter 3, you must be born again you will die twice physically and eternally called the second death. But if you're born twice physically and spiritually. At best you only die once physically but never a second death never eternally so my firm and strong loving suggestion is make sure you take place in the first resurrection. So God is good to rule the universe through his son Jesus Christ. But the Bible seems to indicate that ruling the universe is a family business wants to extend that to all of his children who trust in him are you and his family trust in Christ and perhaps a six message from the series from the edge of eternity you Skip as they share how you can cultivate unity and grace to share Jesus love with others.

One day God is trying to set up perfect.

In the meantime with imperfect politics that very day and age during that would invite how can we honor the Lord and extend grace and love to people with whom we don't agree when it comes to political opinions. Boy that's that's a huge issue in Midland. The Army were always talking about this loaded question and were always dealing with people who are very divided over this. I make it my goal not to favor a political platform of publicly I'm here not to promote up Paul political platform, but the kingdom and that is the kingdom of God.

So you know that's how I feel generally as a as a pastor, but that's not to say I don't hold political views but III try to have my views based upon those who are closest to scriptural values. That's how I vote. Just watch the news with them that that's very true so I guess we shouldn't feel like we have to rebuke or robot or correct every opposing voice and every opinion I mean you and your family share very different political views polar opposites and and yet you have wonderful winsome warm relationships and conversations so one thing I've noticed about you.

If there's a glaring inconsistency with a person's viewpoint. You're not afraid to bring that out and dialogue through the day to show favor Thanksgiving lagniappe experiences of God's presence and power on this earth. There only if you have vinyl to share the cost now you have to help connect others exiting the teaching ministry going strong.com/escape.com/or call 800-9200 92 tomorrow and to share several things that will surprise you about your future Skip presentation of connection communication through