Future-Town - Part 2 - Part A

Some people are a little bit put off that heaven will include a city. They think that while this is heaven, and should have like lots of beach and lots of open spaces and I think that's going to be there on the new earth, but they they somehow don't like the idea it is to be this big city.

All I can say that is God would disagree because it's going to be there and the obvious point, perhaps, is that heaven is going to be a very social place to be a restored new community were interact with God and interact with each other. The Bible talks about a futuristic city that those who followed Christ will one day live today on connect with skip-Skip examines the unique features of the city in your heart and all of today's program Skip and his wife. When you share some encouragement far away from the Lord.

The darkness that is around us.

I am going to challenge those of you who are feeling that to let the darkness be an opportunity to start alighting part. Figure out how I in my life and others who think like I do believe like I do can bring light to the darkness that surrounds us. How can I shine my life. How can I share the truth Thanksgiving when you be sure to stay tuned. After today's message to the full conversation you want to tell you about a resource that will help your struggles so you can experience faith enriching transformation. I've enjoyed watching the growth in the ministry of my friend Levi Lustgarten this month's connect with Skip resource. Take back your life new book by Levi Lesko personally bided tell you about it's all around this idea of taking back your life is a 40 day interactive journey is thinking right so you can live right. As can be really powerful and specializing some people to have this bellies in hardcover, which just makes me happy because I never had a booklist hardcover but has arisen.

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Check online on your wellness on where you're at it all deal with internal difficulties and help you deal better with external circumstances that are challenging as we explore how it gets to the very best version of ourselves that we are meant to be. Get the book. Take back your life with a donation of $35 to connect with skip: one 892 1888 online and connectwithskip.com this hardcover book by Levi Lesko will help you take back your life. It's a 40 day interactive journey to thinking right so you can live right 1-800-922-1888 Revelation chapter 21 starts today for we may have heard about the elderly gentleman who was on his deathbed he only had days to live, and everybody knew it, including himself. One afternoon the old guy smelled a familiar aroma was his favorite chocolate chip cookies with assorted gave him a new lease on the last few days of his life. He managed to push himself out of bed, get up and lean himself against the wall work his way to the edge of the room find the railing went down the stairs took a long time, but he made it and he slumped himself toward the threshold of the kitchen and looked in the kitchen and there spread out on newspaper were hundreds of chocolate chip cookies and he thought my in heaven, or is this the last act of kindness from a devoted wife who wants her husband to leave this earth experiencing one last pleasure all those thoughts tumbled through his mind. His last bit of energy. He lunged toward the counter crumpled over on his knees, his parched lips parted, he could already tasted in his mouth and that weathered hand reaching forward to grab one cookie and was smacked by a spatula and his wife said stay out of those there for the funeral for her old try just wants one final pleasure in his wife's already carrying him well. We have spent including today, 16 weeks, looking at what happens to a Christian when that Christian dies and is in the presence of the Lord awaits the resurrected body and what the resurrected body will be like and what heaven will be like in all of the different phases of eternity including the millennial kingdom and what will be doing it in all that we have discovered readily admit it's a whole lot better than a few cookies what God has planned for us. While last time last couple of times and today we're looking at that last piece the final installment, which we call the eternal state includes new heaven and new earth and a new city know some people are a little bit put off that heaven will include a city.

They think that Wallace is heaven. It should have like lots of beach and lots of open spaces. I think that's gonna be there on the new earth, but they they somehow don't like the idea that sin to be this big city. All I can say that as God would disagree because it's gonna be there, and the obvious point, perhaps, is that heaven is going to be a very social place to be a restored renewed community where we interact with God and we interact with each other on a whole new intimate level. Now just want to cover this thought again before we dive into it. Some actually believe that what we read in Revelation 21 and 22 is not physical at all. It's not a real city. It simply an allegorical presentation in the Bible of the people of God.

Well all I can say that is it's called a city over and over and over again. Not only that it's given actual dimension right in skin color, materials, texture, and it's laid out it's measured 1500 miles. By 1500 miles.

By 1500 miles. We saw last time. That means just the base level is 2,250,000 mi.² is just the first level you gotta go up 1500 miles. It's a huge city and is able to house every redeemed person who has ever lived that John gets a personal tour of the city you know in the Bible. There's only two people in the New Testament that saw a vision of heaven. One was Paul.

The other was John. Now Paul didn't help us very much because he says he was taken to the third heaven and it's just so cool I can't even tell you about. So that doesn't help us. John however was told to write these things down were given this description. Last time we looked at the description of the outside of the city. Now we look at the inside of the city. Today we view it from the inside not the outside. This is the walk-through today really see it as we go in and we notice what's not there and what is there. Who's there and who's not there and what they're doing there. This is the inside of the city is spoken by John. Let's look at it in verse 22 of Revelation 21 and will follow down several verses but I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple and the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it and the Lamb is its light, and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. It's gates shall not be shut at all by day there shall be no night there and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life, and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of the street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations and there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him, they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads.

There shall be no night there.

They need no lamp nor light of the sun for the Lord God gives them light and they shall reign forever and ever. So what we have here is the internal view of the eternal city and because John approaches it a bit different than the outside view organa women notice.

In closing, and I say in closing because this is really the last study in the series will do a summary explanation next week, but this is really the last of this the end of it. So I want to give you this morning. Five conditions that will sum up life in the eternal city, the new Jerusalem heaven, the eternal state. The first condition I want you to notice is what I call proximity verse 22 John first thing he notices is there is no temple in new Jerusalem, and later on in chapter 22 it says they're going to see his face. There is a close intimacy and proximity.

That means we don't need a temple in heaven.

No understand that the ancient peoples.

It was unthinkable to have a great city without temples. Every great city had several temples and even the city of Jerusalem had added centerpiece, the great temple where God was worshiped and animals were sacrificed. But the idea here is that you don't need one. The Lord God is the temple and the Lamb. There the temple so in heaven. You and I will have direct access to God. No need of a holy place. You don't need a church cathedral, a chapel, a synagogue, a house of worship. You need special days of worship and there will be separate groups gathering in heaven grumbling to make another heaven we don't really like this place like there happens to be on earth I heard about a guy was stranded on a desert island you may have heard this, he was there all alone. And finally, after years he was rescued and the captain of the ship. The rescued and noticed that there were three huts on the island. The captain's anointed and I thought you were stranded here all alone and I said well I was the first time.

That's my house that's where I live in the second hot was my church where I went every week Supports the third hot guy so that's the church I used to go to.

None of that in heaven God's presence will literally fill every spot every place in the new heaven and the new earth in the new city. Now you know it's always been God's desire to be close to his people to be in close proximity to his people before the fall of man, God was seen walking with Adam in the cool of the day in the garden but sin marred that sin ruined that there was a separation between God and man.

So the Lord provided a tabernacle where he could be worshiped and then later on a temple where he could be worship, but there was still the distance between God and man in those places you couldn't just barge in. You had to go to a priest who represented God to you. You could walk into the holy of holies there were courts that separated you from God's presence there was a sacrifice.

You would have to bring to be worthy, but the Lord Jesus has always anticipated this very time. Remember, one of his great promises is in my father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so I would've told you I'm going to prepare a place for you and if I go I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also always been his desire and Jesus prayed in John 17 these words father.

I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am, then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began listening heaven you'll never feel far from God ever again.

If you feel that way today. If you feel lonely, you'll never feel that way ever again. You'll be totally satisfied all the time you be in his presence to see his face prevented a camper retreat or even a worship service where it says so powerful it's almost like you can touch and feel the presence of God. And so it's so utterly cool if you like. I don't ever want to leave but so heaven could be like all the time.

That's why there's no need of the temple because of proximity.

The second condition that will be in this eternal city is what I call majesty or glory.

God's glory. Look at verse 23 of chapter 21 and the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it for the glory or majesty of God illuminated it in the Lamb is its light, and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it. It's gate shall not be shut at all by day notice this parenthetical statement. There shall be no night there that were getting a little bit of insight into what the conditions will be like in this new set up right new universe to have a new earth. New city very different dynamic than what we presently know now he sees on our earth. Now we depend on cycles of the sun and the moon and alternate conditions of light and darkness, for instance, the moon provides tides for the ocean controls the flow of tides in the sea that is an issue here because there's no what is no see verse one of chapter 21 there was no ocean and so there's no need for the moon. There's no need for the sun is never going to be a night there never to be night now just remind you what John saw so far is this city itself is so well lit that when he first saw it was like this gigantic cube 1500 miles. By 1500 miles.

By 1500 miles descending from heaven toward earth and light was cascading out of it, pouring forth from it. Huge light show dazzling in the way I described the last time. It's like a giant holy of holies coming down toward the earth. I said that because the only place we find a cube or God weld was in the Old Testament, the holy of holies was 15 feet wide 15 feet deep and 15 feet tall. A perfect cube and that's in the tabernacle where the ark was kept. So this new city of Jerusalem is sort of like the holy of holies on steroids. 1500 miles cube coming from heaven toward the earth notice and our verse that the source of this light is the father and the son there together glorified very different kind of light visible light. Today, as we know it. Visible light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum is the stuff I used to have to study and the retina of your eye responds to the measurement on the electromagnetic spectrum of somewhere between 390 and and 740 nm in wavelength. That's what her response to, but light as we know it usually has a source of combustion or fuel that burns and needs to be replenished. Whether it's sunlight whether it's a lightbulb but notice here that God Almighty and the Lamb are the source of light. This is from the majesty and the glory of God and never runs out of God's goodness after 20,000 years.

I'm sort of tired of shining now says are to be no night there.

Ponder that for a moment.

No night experts tell us that human emotions can become very vulnerable late afternoon and early evening out with everyone that with quite a few people called sundowner syndrome and it is more acute in the elderly.

In fact, in pre-Alzheimer conditions are. They say that certain people can become very agitated and confused and late afternoon and early evening when the sun is setting. Darkness does something to us.

I have a friend who lost a son recently and when I was with him. He said you know what I read nighttime.

I hate it when it's dark because your thoughts are focused are not distracted by visible things in this world that is shown by light is to be no night there because the glory of God permeates that place.

God's majesty do you remember when Jesus in John 17 prayed that prayer and part of it is where he said.

Father, glorify me with the glory that I had with you before the world was never a part of the prayer. Glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world. This is the answer to that prayer there together glorified in its radiant it's really and its majestic heaven will display the glory of God gives us a little insight actually into the incarnation. I just want you to follow me here for a moment think of what Jesus gave up to come to this earth for 33 years to get this up and so when he prayed, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world was think about that. He gave all of this up to come here to be rejected, scorned, misunderstood, beaten, crucified, so that you and I could be in heaven with him forever. That's amazing. Charles Wesley wrote a song we sing every Christmas. Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

There's a little phrase in that song goes like this failed in flesh the Godhead see hail incarnate deity, pleased as man with man to dwell. Jesus, our Emmanuelle it's it's picking up on this thought here is God in all of this splendor and glory, but failed by human flesh, and every now and then while Jesus was on earth you could see through the veil, you could peek at the glory. For instance, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter and James and John who wrote Revelation, where there it says in Matthew 17 he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun. His clothes became as white as the light. What was that all about.

That my friends is a preview of coming attractions. That was the trailer to this movie what they saw is what ultimately it will be like in the kingdom really and bright resplendent light of the glory of God. I've heard people say it was a miracle that Jesus shine. Listen the greatest miracles.

He didn't shine all the time but it was veiled just every now and then the disciples were able to see into it so heaven will display its call at the unedited widescreen version of the glory of God the take your breath away. How glory of God. So majesty is a condition. 1/3 condition, I want to draw your attention to his activity activity. Now rocket to go through all these verses again but I'm just to point out a couple things. A big question people have is okay so like what are we gonna do in heaven.

We covered this before, in part, like we talked about in the millennium but will do and what positions will be like how will help administrate now this is this is forever. That's gone. This is now the eternal state. What we can do like forever that worry some people as I as I work my way through the taxes a few words that pop out verse 24 chapter 21 the boardwalk were to walk in the move work were to be going places probably in and out of that city may be exploring the new earth or the new heaven. Verse 26 were gonna walk and bring honor and glory into it. The idea praise and worship. We talked about before verse three of chapter 22. Serve as another verb is an action. That's what will be doing the serving in verse five will be raining then Skip the message from the series from leakage of eternity. Now let's go in the studio with Skip as they share some encouragement to help you draw closer to the Lord today and having no more racing and they'll be no more loneliness because we will finally be in her father's house with our father himself. Can you speak to a listener might be feeling far from that reality right now who feels discouraged and alone.

First of all, we are far from that reality. Right now we live in a fallen world. Sin does prevail. God, the darkness that is around us. I am going to challenge those of you who are feeling that to let the darkness be an opportunity to start a lighting party to figure out how I in my life and others who think like I do and believe like I do can bring the light to the darkness that surrounds us. How can I shine my life. How can I share the truth because if though it can be difficult to share your faith with some people. If it leads to salvation. I now have a brother or sister who was once part of the kingdom of darkness, but now is on the side of light and let me just say if you're feeling that way. You need a group Unita Unita family Unita church.

The church is essential during these days, more than ever before, and you can always fellowship with just a screen.

You need to pray with somebody and be encouraged by someone and encourage others as well. Thank you Stefan Lanyon. We hope this conversation refreshed you spiritually sound. Please consider helping keep sheet like this on hair. Your support helps expand the reach of this ministry so my listeners can connect the pathway.

The cost of the Jesus Christ continuing that partnership to just visit.com/ticket now.com/donate or you can call 890 280-800-9288 for connecting more people to teams that just a reminder, you can watch connect with skip. I took on the hills on channel on Saturdays at 4:30 PM Mountain kitchen on TBN on Sundays at 538 Anixter listings. Tune in tomorrow to give you some encouragement about how to simplify your life is hectic so Skip presentation of connection communication through