On Sunday, Marty preached on Revelation 21 & 22 :: 'I wanna go home'.
It was a hope filled sermon and pointed you to long for complete restoration of relationship with the Living God. Living with the people of God in a New City where there is no temple as we have no need for one for God himself dwells with his people.
It was also stressed that this would be a NEW home. Brand New, Good Home, Not all people are welcome to this home and only those who get in get in by the Lamb.
In question time after the sermon someone asked: Why do we need a New Heaven... understand why a new earth but a new heaven - what is wrong with the current one??? Is it just to push the idea that God will create "all things new"?
But as I heard Greg Clarke @ CASE speak on Christians and the future yesterday - he presented the argument that it is not so much of the "New" and the Old is destroyed but the Christian future is more about "renewal, restoration and reconciliation". (Think Noah!)
I guess I am stuck on the word "new"and what the difference is to "renew" and balancing the ideas of RR&R with the image presented in Rev 21 of NEW City, NEW things, FORMER Passed Away - and 2 Peter 3:8-13 Heavens will PASS AWAY, SET ON FIRE, DISSOLVED...
The NEW is to be free from the effects of sin and secure from sin ever entering in:
- What really can remain from this creation that has not been tainted by sin?
- Do we not need NEW not just renewed - for that is what happened to Noah and look where we are now?
- Or is it a different 'type' of renewal?
- What is the link with the future 'old&new' and the fulfillment of old with Jesus: Matthew 5:17-20???? What is the continuity here?
Whether the Old is completely destroyed and the New brought in, the old burnt in a crucible to purify and keep the glorious and precious things for the new... I am looking forward to when Jesus will return and I can dwell with the KING, finding complete satisfaction in him and enjoying him FOREVER!
Above is a video Hannah and I made about Rev 21 for the series on Rev at church - Hannah killed two birds with one stone as she had to do a visual representation of a text for a uni video project, but in the end it didn't get shown in church. oh well!!
2 comments:
Love the video!!!
And, I do Want to go home!!!!
I thought it was "new" considering the old (is) will be destroyed...hmmmm -
2 Peter brings me to that conclusion... 2 Peter 3:7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly...(this bit is Worth looking at - too long to paste here)...13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
and Isaiah
Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
- it's interesting that the old will not even be remembered!
I think I'd like to hear Greg's talk!
(this bit is Worth looking at - too long to paste here) AGREED!!!
Not sure who to read up on it either... there are so many differing views...
Randy Alcorn who preaches at Desiring God Conferences (Piper.. yes I know) has a website: Eternal Perspective Ministries www.epm.org - not sure what he thinks and yet to read up but he has some article titles that look helpful!!
Post a Comment