The Glories Of Heaven Series

Purpose: To describe what the inside of heaven will be like.

Aim: I want the listener to glory in heaven so that worldly things are no longer alluring.

INTRODUCTION: What will heaven be like? Does it matter to us today what heaven will be like? Today we will get a deeper understanding of what Paul meant when he cried out "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15). Explaining heaven to mere mortals like us must be like describing a beautiful sunset to person born blind or a Beethoven symphony to deaf person.

The Bible calls those who make it to heaven "over comers." "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; [the spirit of the antichrist in the world] because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

The over comers are those who put their faith in Christ. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? " (1 John 5:4--5).

But, the cost of being an over comer is high: "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions" (Luke 14:33). Notice what we get in return.

Over Comers will Inherit:

#1 The Earth

"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).

#2 Eternal life

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29).

"He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).

#3 The Kingdom of God

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).

#4 God's blessings

"...for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9).

#5 All things

"He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son" (Revelation 21:7).

"So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. " (1 Corinthians 3:21--23).

John saw what is in store for over comers, so let's take a peek at what he saw.

REVIEW:

1:1-20 I. John's Vision of the Past "the things which you have seen"

2:1-5:14 II. Christ's Vision of the Present "the things which are"

Ch.6-22 III. John's Vision of the Future "things which will take places"

6-7; 12-14 A. Satan's war against God's creation- the first six seals

8-11; 13:11-18; 15-18 B. Savior's war against Satan: The wrath of God- the seventh seal

Ch.19-20 C. The worship of God

Ch.21-22 D. The wonder of eternal bliss

Vs.1-8 1. God makes all things new "a new heaven and a new earth"

Vs.9-11 2. God unveils a new paradise: the New Jerusalem "glory of God...brilliance"

Vs.12-21 3. God describes this new paradise

Vs.12a a. It is a safe place: the walls "great high wall"

Vs.12b-13 b. It is a public place: the gates "twelve gates"

Vs.14 c. It is a place of truth: the foundations "twelve apostles"

Vs.15-17 d. It is a real place: the measurements "gold measuring rod"

Vs.18-21 e. It is a pure place: the stones "pure gold"

Vs. 22-27 4. God describes a new worship

Vs.22 a. The intimacy of worship "no Temple"

Vs.23 b. The openness of worship "its lamp is the Lamb"

Vs.24 c. The universal nature of worship "The nations...the kings"

Vs.25-26 d. The unending nature of worship "no night there"

Vs.27 e. The purity of worship "nothing unclean"

LESSON:

22:1-5 5. God describes eternal glory

Vs.1-2 a. We will be supplied by the Lamb forever "water or life...tree of life"

This river that flows throughout the New Jerusalem may be like the river that flowed around the Garden of Eden which was divided into four streams (Genesis 2:10). In the New Jerusalem it would presumably descend through all the levels of the city and then flow out to the east and to the west through the walls into the entire world. "And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter " (Zechariah 14:8).