Revelations 20:7-10… And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
21:1-5… And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Let's talk about something very exciting; something that’s the hope of every Christian. You see, no matter what this life may throw our way we can always rest in the fact that this is not all there is. There is something that comes after this life. What we see is not all there is. We have something to look forward to with great excitement. John tells us in the scriptures we just read that the One who sits on the throne has said, "Behold, I make all things new." There is coming a day when Gabriel is going to pick up the trumpet, and as he blows that horn the eastern sky is going to be split wide open, and the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords is going to appear. And we, His bride, will rise to meet Him in the air. And Jesus said, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
It’s going to be a great day when we are allowed to enter into the joys of the Lord. I don’t know when that day will come. It may be a hundred years from now. It may be today. But we have the promise of the Father that He is going to one day send His Son to get His people. And when that day comes everything we know is going to be changed in the twinkling of an eye. And what a day that will be.
I want to talk to you about four things that will be made new on that day.
1. A New Home
First of all, we’re going to live in a new home. Have you ever experienced what it was like to move from a house that was not yours into a home that belonged to you?
As good of a memory that day was, I think there is a day coming that is so much more exciting. It’s another moving day. Right now, we’re living in a house that is not our own. And the house that we’re living in has some issues, it has some problems. The world that we live in is full of suffering and hatred and fear. Every day we’re hearing about war that’s happening all over. Every day we hear about another tragedy. Every day we hear about the evil that seems to be crashing in on every side. Not everything about our world is bad. There is beauty to be found here. There is some good around. But it seems as though there is always something bad happening to make us forget about the good. This is a house that seems to be torn apart at the seams at times.
But aren’t you glad that moving day is coming? There is a day coming when we’ll be packing up and heading out of this house we’re living in and moving into a home that is our own, a place that is specifically prepared for us. Jesus said in John 14… Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Christ is preparing a home for us. And in that home there will be no suffering. In that home there will be no hatred. In that home there will be no fear. There will be no tragedy there. There will be no war there. There will be no strife there. There will be perfect harmony there. The lion and the lamb will rest side by side. It will be a place of spotless beauty. The streets there are made of gold. The walls there are made out of precious stones. The gates are made out of pearl. The water there is crystal clear and pure. The measurements of that city are perfectly measured out. There is no need for the sun, moon, or stars. This earth’s sun will be replaced by the Son of God. It will be a perfect home. Full of love. Full of peace. Full of joy. And it will be ours. What a moving day that will be. When we leave this broken down house we live in to dwell in the home that Christ has prepared for us.
John said, I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. This world is not our home. We’re just passing through. The bible tells us that our citizenship is in heaven. And the day is coming when we will be moving and we we will be living in our new and perfect place where we will dwell forever.
2. New Body
Not only will we live in a new home, but secondly, it’s good to know that we’re going to live in a new body.
But aren’t you glad that moving day is coming? There is a day coming when we’ll be packing up and heading out of this house we’re living in and moving into a home that is our own, a place that is specifically prepared for us. Jesus said in John 14… Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Christ is preparing a home for us. And in that home there will be no suffering. In that home there will be no hatred. In that home there will be no fear. There will be no tragedy there. There will be no war there. There will be no strife there. There will be perfect harmony there. The lion and the lamb will rest side by side. It will be a place of spotless beauty. The streets there are made of gold. The walls there are made out of precious stones. The gates are made out of pearl. The water there is crystal clear and pure. The measurements of that city are perfectly measured out. There is no need for the sun, moon, or stars. This earth’s sun will be replaced by the Son of God. It will be a perfect home. Full of love. Full of peace. Full of joy. And it will be ours. What a moving day that will be. When we leave this broken down house we live in to dwell in the home that Christ has prepared for us.
John said, I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. This world is not our home. We’re just passing through. The bible tells us that our citizenship is in heaven. And the day is coming when we will be moving and we we will be living in our new and perfect place where we will dwell forever.
2. New Body
Not only will we live in a new home, but secondly, it’s good to know that we’re going to live in a new body.
No matter how much effort we put into making ourselves healthy and beautiful, no matter how many calories we’re burning or how toned our muscles are or what we’re doing to make ourselves look young and beautiful, we still grow older every day. And one day, if we’re not there already, we will experience the aches and pains that come with aging. And one day, if we haven’t already, we will experience what it is to have something go wrong inside of our body. And one day, if the Lord tarries, they’re going to put our bodies into a box and lower us into the ground. And it doesn’t matter how beautiful you are. It doesn’t matter how much body fat you don’t have. It doesn’t matter how big your arms are and how flat and firm your tummy is. No matter how good we try to make this body look, it is still a natural, earthly body. We still age. Things still break down and grow old. We’re still going to die.
And so it should come as a relief to read what Paul says in 1st Corinthians 15....... He says that our earthly body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
There is coming a day when we’re going to live in perfect, incorruptible bodies that do not age, that do not suffer illness, that do not succumb to death.
There will be no more aging. There will be no more aches and pains. There will be no more cancer. There will be no more heart problems. There will be no more surgery. There will be no more disease and sickness. There will be no more death. There won’t be any need for hospitals. There won’t be any need for nursing homes. There won’t be any need for hospice services. There won’t be any need for funeral homes. There will be no more graveyards. You won’t need your medicine anymore. You won’t need your vitamins anymore. You won’t need to keep track of your calories anymore. You won’t need food or water anymore. Our corruptible body will be made incorruptible. Our sick body will be made well. Our weak body will be made strong. Our decaying bodies will be made eternal. We will have a new body.
And so it should come as a relief to read what Paul says in 1st Corinthians 15....... He says that our earthly body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
There is coming a day when we’re going to live in perfect, incorruptible bodies that do not age, that do not suffer illness, that do not succumb to death.
There will be no more aging. There will be no more aches and pains. There will be no more cancer. There will be no more heart problems. There will be no more surgery. There will be no more disease and sickness. There will be no more death. There won’t be any need for hospitals. There won’t be any need for nursing homes. There won’t be any need for hospice services. There won’t be any need for funeral homes. There will be no more graveyards. You won’t need your medicine anymore. You won’t need your vitamins anymore. You won’t need to keep track of your calories anymore. You won’t need food or water anymore. Our corruptible body will be made incorruptible. Our sick body will be made well. Our weak body will be made strong. Our decaying bodies will be made eternal. We will have a new body.
3. New Freedom
When the Lord returns we will live in a new freedom. Right now we live in a world that is dominated by the power of Satan. The Bible tells us that he’s roaming about seeking whom he may devour. It calls him the god of this world. It calls him the prince of the power of this air. He’s called the ruler of the darkness of this world. Scripture tells us that he has come for no other reason to steal, kill, and destroy. And he is doing just that.
Today he is wreaking havoc in the world we live in. It is because of him that we see so much hatred. It is because of him that we see so much killing. It’s because of him that we see so many homes destroyed by divorce and unfaithfulness. It’s because of him that we see so many people lost in their addictions to alcohol and drugs and pornography. He’s the reason that so many people that we know personally have been swept in by sin. And he’s the one who is assailing you with temptation and doubt and confusion.
But I’ve got good news for you. Satan’s time is short. His end is nearing.
Satan was ultimately defeated 2000 years ago when Jesus died on a cross and paid the price for our sin, and then rose from the dead 3 days later to conquer death and the grave. And so right now Satan is a lame duck. His time is short. Rev.12:12 says… Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Satan is working hard to do as much damage as he can because he doesn’t have very much longer to work his evil. There is coming a day when Satan’s power will be stripped away from him. There is coming a day when we will no longer have to worry about him. His doom is inevitable. His destruction is near. And he knows it.
John tells us that the devil that deceived us will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. When the day comes that we see Jesus, Satan will no longer have the ability destroy another church. He will no longer have the power to destroy another marriage. He will no longer have any way to steal away your children. He won’t be able to cause you to stumble again. He won’t be able to distract you from having a strong, growing relationship with Christ. He won’t be able to make you fear or doubt. He won’t be able to cause any more confusion in your mind.
The Bible tells us that sin will have no place in heaven. It tells us in Rev 22:3 that there will no longer be any curse. Temptation will be gone. Doubt will disappear. Ps. 37 tells us that evil and wickedness will have no place there. It tells us that "there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles." Satan and all of his demons will be no more. But they will be thrown into the pit of hell to suffer the punishment and judgment that they know they’ve got coming to them. And you and I will be free from Satan’s reach.
4. New Fellowship
Someone wrote, "As a boy, I thought of heaven as a city with domes, spires, and beautiful streets, inhabited by angels. By and by my little brother died, and I thought of heaven much as before, but with one person that I knew. Then another died, and then some of my friends, so in time I began to think of heaven as containing several people that I knew. But it was not until one of my own little children died that I began to think I had treasure in heaven myself. Afterward another went, and yet another. By that time I had so many friends and children in heaven that I no more thought of it as a city merely with streets of gold but as a place full of inhabitants. Now there are so many loved ones there I sometimes think I know more people in heaven than I do on earth."
I personally have a brother in Heaven that I was never able to communicate with due to his illness of the 16 years of his life, I also have unborn children in Heaven that I long to see for the very first time.
I would love to have the opportunity to talk with them and get to know them. So you see, I’m excited to one day walk through the gates of heaven to see them awaiting my arrival? That’s one of the greatest hopes for the Christian. One day we’re going to see all of our Christian loved ones again. If we want to see our loved ones that have gone on before we must be ready!!
Every hero we read about in the Scriptures will be there. Every saint that has given their lives for the sake of the Master will be there. Every loved one who has made an impact in our lives for God will be there. Every child that has been lost will be waiting for us there. What a time of fellowship that will be.
But the greatest hope of the Christian is not the hope of seeing our loved ones. It is not the hope of living in a beautiful home. It is not the hope of obtaining an incorruptible body. It isn’t even the hope of being free from temptation. But our greatest hope is that on that day we will get to see Jesus. He said, "Where I am you may be also." John said he heard a great voice call out and say, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. One day we’re going to live in constant fellowship with the One who paid the way for us to be forgiven of sin. One day we’re going to live in the presence of the One who gave His life for us. One day we’re going to see Jesus.
Someone wrote, "As a boy, I thought of heaven as a city with domes, spires, and beautiful streets, inhabited by angels. By and by my little brother died, and I thought of heaven much as before, but with one person that I knew. Then another died, and then some of my friends, so in time I began to think of heaven as containing several people that I knew. But it was not until one of my own little children died that I began to think I had treasure in heaven myself. Afterward another went, and yet another. By that time I had so many friends and children in heaven that I no more thought of it as a city merely with streets of gold but as a place full of inhabitants. Now there are so many loved ones there I sometimes think I know more people in heaven than I do on earth."
I personally have a brother in Heaven that I was never able to communicate with due to his illness of the 16 years of his life, I also have unborn children in Heaven that I long to see for the very first time.
I would love to have the opportunity to talk with them and get to know them. So you see, I’m excited to one day walk through the gates of heaven to see them awaiting my arrival? That’s one of the greatest hopes for the Christian. One day we’re going to see all of our Christian loved ones again. If we want to see our loved ones that have gone on before we must be ready!!
Every hero we read about in the Scriptures will be there. Every saint that has given their lives for the sake of the Master will be there. Every loved one who has made an impact in our lives for God will be there. Every child that has been lost will be waiting for us there. What a time of fellowship that will be.
But the greatest hope of the Christian is not the hope of seeing our loved ones. It is not the hope of living in a beautiful home. It is not the hope of obtaining an incorruptible body. It isn’t even the hope of being free from temptation. But our greatest hope is that on that day we will get to see Jesus. He said, "Where I am you may be also." John said he heard a great voice call out and say, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. One day we’re going to live in constant fellowship with the One who paid the way for us to be forgiven of sin. One day we’re going to live in the presence of the One who gave His life for us. One day we’re going to see Jesus.
When I get to heaven, the first sight that shall see with my eyes will be that of my Savior.
I can’t wait for the day that I’m able to look upon His face. I can’t wait for the day I’m able to bow at His feet in worship. I can’t wait for the day that I’m able to express my gratitude to Him face to face. I can’t wait to feel His arms of love wrap around me as He welcomes me home. The first face I look for when I enter those gates will be the face of Jesus. One glimpse of His face will make every trial worth while. One touch of His hand will make every battle worth it. Every heartache will be forgotten. Every doubt will be cleared away. All sorrow will vanish forever. All of our questions will be answered. Every tear will be dried. Every fear will disappear. Only joy and peace and happiness and satisfaction and rest will remain when we look upon the face of Jesus.
What a day that will be when my Jesus I will see. When I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day that will be. What a day of worship that will be. What a day of thanksgiving and praise. What a day of rejoicing it will be when we see Jesus. What a time of fellowship we’ll have with Him.
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live. As she began getting her things "in order" she called her pastor and asked him to come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her service, what scriptures she wanted read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. She also requested that she be buried with her Bible in her left hand. Everything was in order, and as the pastor was preparing to leave, the woman suddenly remembered one final request that was very important to her.
"Please, Pastor, just one more thing," she said excitedly. "Sure, what is it," came the pastor’s reply. "This is very important to me," the woman continued ... "I want to be buried holding a fork in my right hand." The pastor gazed at the woman with a loss for words. "That surprises you, doesn’t it?" the woman said. The pastor replied, "Well, to be quite honest I am puzzled by the request." The woman explained, "You see, pastor, in all my years attending church socials and potluck dinners, I remember after the main course and the dishes were being cleared somebody will inevitably lean over to me and say.... ’keep your fork.’ That was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming, like the velvety chocolate cake, or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful was coming up that would put a perfect end to a great meal. So, you see Pastor, I just want people to see me there in my casket with a fork in my hand, and I want them to wonder... ’What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: ’Keep your fork ~ the best is yet to come!"
Today it’s good to know that the best is yet to come. No matter what life puts in our pathway we can rest assured that a day is coming when all those things will be put aside and we’ll enter into a new home in new bodies to enjoy a new freedom and spend eternity in a new fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord. What a day that will be.
Are you ready?
I can’t wait for the day that I’m able to look upon His face. I can’t wait for the day I’m able to bow at His feet in worship. I can’t wait for the day that I’m able to express my gratitude to Him face to face. I can’t wait to feel His arms of love wrap around me as He welcomes me home. The first face I look for when I enter those gates will be the face of Jesus. One glimpse of His face will make every trial worth while. One touch of His hand will make every battle worth it. Every heartache will be forgotten. Every doubt will be cleared away. All sorrow will vanish forever. All of our questions will be answered. Every tear will be dried. Every fear will disappear. Only joy and peace and happiness and satisfaction and rest will remain when we look upon the face of Jesus.
What a day that will be when my Jesus I will see. When I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day that will be. What a day of worship that will be. What a day of thanksgiving and praise. What a day of rejoicing it will be when we see Jesus. What a time of fellowship we’ll have with Him.
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live. As she began getting her things "in order" she called her pastor and asked him to come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her service, what scriptures she wanted read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. She also requested that she be buried with her Bible in her left hand. Everything was in order, and as the pastor was preparing to leave, the woman suddenly remembered one final request that was very important to her.
"Please, Pastor, just one more thing," she said excitedly. "Sure, what is it," came the pastor’s reply. "This is very important to me," the woman continued ... "I want to be buried holding a fork in my right hand." The pastor gazed at the woman with a loss for words. "That surprises you, doesn’t it?" the woman said. The pastor replied, "Well, to be quite honest I am puzzled by the request." The woman explained, "You see, pastor, in all my years attending church socials and potluck dinners, I remember after the main course and the dishes were being cleared somebody will inevitably lean over to me and say.... ’keep your fork.’ That was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming, like the velvety chocolate cake, or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful was coming up that would put a perfect end to a great meal. So, you see Pastor, I just want people to see me there in my casket with a fork in my hand, and I want them to wonder... ’What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: ’Keep your fork ~ the best is yet to come!"
Today it’s good to know that the best is yet to come. No matter what life puts in our pathway we can rest assured that a day is coming when all those things will be put aside and we’ll enter into a new home in new bodies to enjoy a new freedom and spend eternity in a new fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord. What a day that will be.
Are you ready?
**You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, The Best Is Coming**
