New Heaven And New Earth | 17Dec2023

Pastor West: [00:00:00] Well, this morning we're going to we're going to preach about heaven. October 15th we started a message called Jesus is Coming Soon. I had no idea I was going to jump into revelations at the time. But you can you can go on for three years and never say all of it. But we kind of taught a chronological order of the events, what takes place to give us an understanding because we need to have an understanding. And so we looked at the chronological order. And this morning we're going to preach about heaven. Don't know if we'll do another one or not, but, uh, I don't know if I ever preached about heaven. Just talk about heaven all the time. But I don't know if I've ever just preached a shame on me. I should have already done that. But, uh, the more I studied, the more looked at it. Uh, I think that'd be a good place to go. What do y'all think? We want to, uh. Y'all excuse my voice this morning. I'm assuming it's from people stirring up dust for about a month at my house remodeling. And I've been breathing and sucking it in for about a month, so. But I'm fine. Uh, I can sing bass real good. I know. Anyway, we want to go back to, uh, the chronological order. Just look at this real quick. Do a or do a little brief review of our last, uh, time together.

 

Pastor West: [00:01:24] But we want to look at the chronological order, and, uh, so here we see if you look to your left, you see the present church age. That's where we are now. This is the present church age. And you see a little says you are here. Then you see an arrow that goes up. Now what's the arrow? Well, what's the next event to take place? The rapture of the church. Some people say, well, they don't believe there is going to be a rapture. Well, you can stay here. Okay. Then you have the seven year tribulation. Above that, simultaneously, you have the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage supper of the lamb. While the worst time in history is taking place on this planet, you will see that at the same simultaneously. While we're in heaven, at the judgment seat of Christ. And the marriage supper of the lamb. You have you have two. You have two specified dates at the beginning of sorrows, three and a half years, and then the last three and a half years. The Great Tribulation just means that they will become more intensified when we leave the planet. The Bible says the great Restrainers will hold the was what is holding the the Antichrist from coming. Now he's the great Restrainer. Well, that's the that's the Holy Spirit in you. He's not here because he can't come because you're here. And so, uh, we see that when we leave the planet, you can you can just imagine the chaos is going to take place.

 

Pastor West: [00:02:47] And so the Antichrist will be on the planet. I can't prove this. It's just my own belief that he's already on the planet. And he will come. And he will be. He won't be a sadistic madman. He'll come. Uh, one of seemingly great intelligence said he has a lot of charisma, a great looking guy with, uh. I don't know what a great looking guy looks like. And I saw one. But anyway, uh. And so he'll come and he'll have the answers to the world's problems, seemingly. And so he will create the the one world system that's already in place now. You know, this is not something they're going to come up with after we leave the the one world system of the world. The money system is it's ready to go anytime they want to pull the trigger. And so it will not happen while we're here, but it will happen as soon as we leave. And so we see we see here on the rapture of the church. This is the next event about to take place. Now there are no signs for the rapture. There are zero signs for the rapture. There are tons of signs for the Second Coming after the seven year tribulation, and after we went to the judgment seat of Christ. The judgment meaning to what we talked about this last week, the Bema Seat, the reward seat.

 

Pastor West: [00:04:04] That's called judgment. But how many know we are being judged in Jesus? Amen. And you're not guilty. And someone says, well, I'm a little worried about going to the judgment seat. Well, if you're in heaven, don't worry. So you're going to go be rewarded for for all that you've done. And he'll he'll judge these things according to what we've been called to do. Did we do it? Did we obey that? Everyone has a specific calling on your life specific, and I believe we will answer for that. I believe there's a book of your name, and I believe he'll pull that out. Of course, your name has to be in the Lamb's Book of Life. But I believe you have your own specified book. I can prove that from the scriptures. I do believe. And, uh. And then this will he'll he'll open the book. And how did your life replicate or mirror what the book of you is supposed to have been while you was on the earth? And that's what we will answer for. And so, uh. But then you'll be rewarded and then we'll come back in the second coming. Revelation 19. We'll all come back with Jesus on the white horse. Giddy up, giddy up. Right. And he'll he'll end the the battle of Armageddon. Uh, it won't be a long, drawn out thing. Uh, it'll be it'll be just that quick.

 

Pastor West: [00:05:15] The devil will be put into the pit for a thousand years. The Bible says one angel will come with one chain. Chain him in the pit. Lock him up. And what? Shut him up. Lock him up, shut him up! Y'all say lock him up. Shut him up for a thousand years. At that time, the false prophet and Antichrist will be thrown into the lake of fire, and the devil will join them 1007 years later, because it'll be seven years of, you know, that, uh, 1007 years of the millennium. And so, uh, then we'll have the millennium. Well, Christ will come and rule and reign. The song that we talked about, Joy to the world, was never written to be a Christian hymn, although it was the third most popular song after all these years. The guy wrote, I didn't write that to be a Christmas hymn, he said. That's a millennial song. Joy to the world. The Lord is come, let earth are now. Finally, the Earth is now going to receive her King. And I mean, but it makes a good Christmas song. But it was never written to be a Christmas song. It was to be a millennial song. And Jesus will rule and reign from Jerusalem, and we'll have a job to do. And all the people that lived during the tribulation that did make it, that did live will come. Those who, who, who would not take the mark of the beast would take the mark in their forehead, or on on their hand will be raised back up and they'll come into the millennium.

 

Pastor West: [00:06:34] The ones who live through it, who did receive Jesus Christ with all the severity that's going to bring. I mean, the Scripture says, if Jesus didn't come back when he comes back in seven years, no one would survive it. That's that's intense. So all these natural people, natural to see they're in natural bodies. But when we come back, we're in a spirit body. So you're going to you're going to cohabit a planet with natural people just like you today in body. I mean, they're going to have a mortal body, and you're not going to have a mortal body, and we're going to share this planet together for a thousand years. Now, if you've thought about this, we talked about before, because our job is to share the gospel now and get people saved as we can so that they're not left here. But you've got natural people who's going to have to hear the gospel for a thousand years, who lived through the planet? Who's going to have children? Those people are going to be in mortal bodies, so they're going to have children. We're not going to have children. I'm sorry. Some of y'all want some more children. But no. Everyone shaking their head. I don't know what that's about. But anyway, so for a thousand years.

 

Pastor West: [00:07:34] So we'll they'll be born into this world with a sin nature. So we're still be preaching the gospel for a thousand years during the millennium. Surprisingly, we know from the scriptures that we we will at least one year be in attendance for, for, uh, for a service to Jesus. Apparently the word is so good when he preaches, it cures you for a year, and I think you pretty well go. You can't do the mother in law thing, or I think you pretty well show up. Matter of fact, the the scriptures, if you don't show up, you won't have any rain. So we're in a different time. And so peace on earth, goodwill towards all men. There's so much peace on the earth that extends into the animal kingdom, where the lion will lay down with the lamb. And, uh, there's there's not a demon on the planet. The devil is locked in a pit, but you can still see the human depravity of mankind that even with not even one, without even one hint of a devil on the planet, you still have. Some people will choose to go the other way. We'll take them to church with us, to Jerusalem, and we'll say, George, you know, this is this is what we did while we lived on the earth. And we read about Jesus here, that that's him right there. And you need to receive him as your Lord.

 

Pastor West: [00:08:59] I mean, that's him. We never saw him. This is what we did. A book. But you're sitting here looking at it. In the Scripture says many of them. Will not choose him. That's really hard to believe. But we have a we have a job to do. You know, one of the greatest harvests is going to take place on the planet is approximately half of the people left on according to the scripture. Some say 55, some say 58% of the people remaining on the planet during the tribulation will be saved through great turmoil. It will be one of the greatest harvest fields that ever take place. Uh, I do not plan to be here. Do you know, I was talking about this last week, and we'll we'll start here this morning. And we talked about, uh, um. Who who will be judged at the at the judgment seat of Christ. And we and I'll just quickly go and do a little last week then get into today. Who's going to be judged at the Great White Throne judgment? It's not the judgment seat of Christ that's that's in heaven. But we're talking about the great White Throne judgment. Who will be there? Who will be judged? Well, number one, the outright sinner who mocks God. Number two, the self-righteous who thought he was too good for judgment. The procrastinator who intended to be saved but never confirmed his or her salvation.

 

Pastor West: [00:10:32] The unsaved church member who has religion but they don't have the Lord. The one who said, I believe there are many paths to God for eternal life in heaven, and now they know there's not. So we're not going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. And that reason is because we said we settled out of court. Jesus became your Saviour when you gave your life to him, when he gave his life at the cross of agony and shame. His precious blood was shed for you, and you settled out of court. If you die without knowing Jesus, you'll spend eternity in hell. Thus not the will of God, not the plan of God. The question, not the question is not if you are religious, the question and the question is not do you belong to the denomination? The question is not even do you know the plan of salvation? The question is, do you know the man of salvation? Amen. So you can know all about. But do you know him? We won't go through all this again. But I gave you things last week in Luke 12. Mark six. There will be different degrees of punishment for eternity for hell. Everyone who's already died, who is not in heaven, who's in hell will be brought back up. They haven't haven't been judged yet, but they're going to be brought back up and then judge with a severity of what that judgment is going to take place for eternity.

 

Pastor West: [00:11:57] They're already there, but they haven't been judged yet. But they will be. So once again, the final sentence is determined, and this is the sureness of the final sentence revelation. Revelation 2012 says, I saw, I saw the dead small and great, standing before God. And the 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 which are written in the books. They were judged according to their works. Not according to grace or mercy. If you want grace, if you want mercy, you can experience that today. Not at this time. When you're. If someone's at the Great White Throne judgment, there'll be no grace. There'll be no mercy. It's over. You can't wait to throw yourself on the mercy of the court on the day of judgment, because there'll be no room for mercy at the judgment. If you want mercy, you have it today. Romans 1013 says, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. So the judgment of the Great White Throne judgment should never be confused with the Bema Seat, the judgment seat of Christ ones a reward, ones a punishment. Uh, the Great White Throne judgment is for the resurrected unbelievers who died throughout eternity. And revelation 2013. The Bible says the sea will give up the dead, and the unbelievers will be judged according to their works.

 

Pastor West: [00:13:29] Revelation 20 1415 says, Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire, and this is the second death. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So there's a saying, born once, die twice. Born twice, die once. In other words, those who were not born again died again. And it will be cast into Lake of Fire. This is called the Second death. It's like a courtroom scene. It's a few noticeable differences and we'll get into a lesson for today. The Great White Throne. The Great White Throne judgment will be just like the courtroom scene, but it'll have very noticeable differences. In other words, there'll be no debate about guilt or innocence. There'll be a prosecutor, but there'll be no defense. There'll be a judge, but there'll be no jury. There'll be a sentence. But there'll be no appeal. There'll be a punishment. But there'll be no parole. So we have a job to do that's going to happen. That's going to happen. So we have a job to do. Well, let's talk about heaven for a moment. That's a little funny subject in it. Heaven is a real place. It's it's real. It's a prepared place. For you, prepared and waiting for you. The Apostle John describes the vision that he had of the new heaven and new earth. He said, the dwelling place for the entire family of God.

 

Pastor West: [00:15:13] This is your eternal home. Um. This is not your home. You're not home. Bible says that we're pilgrims. We're strangers. We're just traveling through here. You're not even from here, are you? So revelation 21 one through six tells us some things about heaven. I'm in the ESV translation, verse one of 21. Then I saw a new heaven and new earth for the first heaven and the first earth has passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. For the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. Also he said, write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. Verse six And he said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning of the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

 

Pastor West: [00:16:32] Verse seven. The one who conquers will have the heritage, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls of the seven plagues and spoke to me, saying, come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great high wall with 12 gates, and at the gates 12 angels, and on the gates the names of the 12 tribes, the Son of Israel, were inscribed, this is the new heaven and new earth. There's some discrepancy about the new heaven and new earth. I don't pick a side because to me it really doesn't matter a whole lot. There's some people like to argue about everything. Um, I read both parts and I can see both. Everyone's. You know why they go there? Uh, many believe because the scripture seems pretty plain that the Lord's going to destroy the earth with fire and him making new heaven and new earth. Many people say, well, not so much. In other words, the word with fire means. It means purified. And he's going to cleanse this planet. Come to me. I believe how he wants to do it.

 

Pastor West: [00:17:52] I'm good with it either way. If he wants to roll it up and throw it away and create good, I don't think he's going to ask any of us. So I'm not going to do a five week series of whether he's going to, you know, refurbish or just start anew. Uh, I'm sure you can find someone to listen to who wants to if you want, if you really need to know all that. So. But I do know that there's going to be a new heaven. There's going to be a new earth. Heaven is mentioned 582 times in the Bible. And the plural heavens with the s is mentioned 150 times. So we have over 700 references to the Turm heaven or heavens. It's one of the greatest promises in the Bible. The people who put their faith in Jesus Christ. This will be your home. Your eternal home. Paul reminds us in Philippians 320, he says, your citizenship is in heaven. Hebrews 1222 says, but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God. You've come to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is your future home. And this is your forever home. This ought to give us great joy. This is the shortest thing you're ever going to do live on this planet. If Jesus delays his coming, and you and you stretch it out and do the 120 thing, that's awesome.

 

Pastor West: [00:19:19] But that's that's not going to be a whole lot compared to eternity. After 10 billion years in heaven, you'll still be getting started. It. Heaven's not going to be boring. You say, what are we going to do for 10 billion years? Well, the Lords and all kinds of things. He likes, things. He likes to mix things up. He likes a different kind of music. I dunno if he likes country, but anyway, he might, I don't know. I don't know why. I don't know why he would, but he might. But anyway, he but he's going to mix things up, I believe. And it's not. It's not the view of us sitting in heaven on a cloud eating Oreo cookies, you know, for 10 billion years. That's not what you ain't. Ain't bad. But I'm just saying. But and it's not quite like that. I mean, heaven, heaven's a city and there's going to be people everywhere. And, uh. And so there's going to be things to do. There's going to be fun things. Heaven is your reward. And so we're going to look at some of the things that we know is going to take place according to the Scripture. And second Peter 310 says, the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and the heavens will disappear with a roar. The elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

 

Pastor West: [00:20:29] Laid bare means purified. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. So this should fill your hearts with joy and peace and comfort and excitement to know that you have a forever home. While keeping in mind, um, verse 13 of that opening says, but keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. You know, I'm sure a lot of you have heard this before. Uh, throughout my life, I've heard this before. Sometimes people will say about someone, they'll say, that person is so heavenly minded. They're just no earthly good. Well, I've had to change my mind about that a little bit, you say? I mean, let's just say there's some unusual people. You know, I don't want to call people weird. Well, I can think of a few, but anyway. But, uh, you know, just so heavenly minded. The North are good. You ever heard that phrase? Yeah. There's only one thing wrong with that statement. It's not true. Here's why. Colossians three one and two teaches us that if you've been raised with Christ, seek those things which what are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

 

Pastor West: [00:21:58] Set your mind and focus your attention on things that are above, and not on things that are on this earth. That's heavenly minded. Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen. C.s. Lewis said A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not, as some modern people think, a form of escapism or wishful thinking, he said. But one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. C.s. Lewis said, if you read history, you will find that the Christians who do the most for this present world is because they were they're more thoughtful of the next. Why does the missionary run around the world? Because they're heavenly minded. They're always they're not even thinking of this world. They're thinking of the next one. Yeah, yeah. Huh? It. Since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world heaven, they have become so ineffective in this one. He went on to say. C.s. Lewis. We don't say. He said, if you aim at heaven, you'll get the earth thrown in. But if you aim at the earth, he said, you'll get neither one of them. So? So we're to be heavenly minded. Amen. I mean, you just ought to walk up, you know? They'll think you're stuck up. No, I'm just being heavily. Mind our own thing. So, are you confused about something? No, I just well, I really think in the rapture, we're going to be yesterday.

 

Pastor West: [00:23:28] Huh? I mean, don't mind if the rapture happens. We. We want to win a lot more people, though. That's right. Amen. I can't prove it. I don't know, it's just my own conviction. It's just my conviction. I do believe there's going to be a major. The nets coming in and filling those nets up before Jesus comes back. I know it'd be. I know it'd be the father's will. I can't imagine that wouldn't be his will. Which one of your children would you like to go through tribulation? Which one of your children will? Would you want to have to be saved through the tribulation or be beheaded? Or starve to death? None. So Jesus wants them all in the we're all his kids. Matthew six. By being heavenly minded, 2021 says, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there is your heart also. So if your heart's not in heaven. Is because your treasure is down here. It's not your treasure that God wants. He wants your heart. God never said, give me thy head. No, he said, give me your heart. Right. So we can take the scriptures and kind of go on a guided tour through heaven. We'll just take a just hit a few highlights this morning.

 

Pastor West: [00:24:51] Heaven is a prepared place. Christian was talking about growing up listening to Psalms 23. She thought that was what you do only at funerals. Well, here's another one that goes with it. It's used at funerals a whole lot, but in this it's applicable. But it's not, uh, it's not as purpose. But heaven is a prepared place. Jesus said in John 14, two and three in my father's house are many trailer parks. If it were not so I'm sorry that that was the reverse translation, not the reverse. 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 to myself. That where I am you may be also. So heaven's real. It's not some mystical, ethereal, intangible, ooey gooey, spooky imagination of the wa wa wa wa. It's real. Don't look those words up in dictionary. They're not all in there. Revelation 21 one and two. The apostle John, he sees this new heaven and new earth. Can you imagine what that must be like for the whole book of revelation? What John is seeing, just like. What is this? And so we have this amazing book that is our future that's about to happen. So the apostle John sees a new heaven and new earth. He says, and I saw a new heaven and a new earth.

 

Pastor West: [00:26:18] And for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John saw the holy city, which is the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Jesus went to prepare a real place, not a state of mind. Heaven is real. So the New Jerusalem is the capital city of of the new heaven. Jesus is going to rule and reign from Jerusalem. And the Bible speaks as New Jerusalem, as the bride. Now in revelations 21 and two. Kind of brings a conclusion to the end of the apocalypse, which is the final destruction in the end of the world. And there's an interesting comparison, uh, with the Genesis and Revelation and I and I'll go a little bit slower here because I want you to just listen to these. If I would have had time, I'd have printed you something else. You could see them. But when you think about Genesis and Revelation, there's nine opposites. And so in Genesis. And it goes back from the story of, uh, uh, man's redemption, man's redemption, when God proclaimed it in the book of Genesis, didn't he? But you'll see that there's there's a complete total opposites in revelation, in Genesis to what happened, to what will happen, because everything will be as God said it was. And in other words, Genesis one one says, the heavens and earth were created.

 

Pastor West: [00:27:51] But in revelation 21 one the new heavens and earth. Are the new heavens and earth are created. In Genesis 116, the son is created. In revelation 21 three. There's no need for sun. There not be a sun in heaven. In Genesis one five, the night gets established. In revelation 22 five. There is no night there. In Genesis 110 the seas are created. In revelation 21 one. There'll be no more seas in heaven. There'll be waters, beautiful lakes. Da da da. But no more seas. In Genesis 314 and 17, the curse was announced. In revelation 22 three, there is no more curse. In Genesis 319, death enters into history. In revelation 21 four. Death exits. History. In Genesis 324, man is driven from Paradise. In revelation 2214, man is restored to Paradise. In Genesis 317, sorrow begins to reign. In revelation 21, for sorrow, tears, and pain in. Here's my favorite one, the last one in Genesis three one. The devil appears. In revelation 2010. The devil disappears. Disappears. Now, here's an interesting fact in the Bible is that in the first two chapters of Genesis, the devil is not mentioned in the last two books of revelations. He's not mentioned either. Hallelujah. Two, one. A good number for him, I guess. I don't know what. I was writing this thing down, I don't even know. And I heard I got to this place right here. I usually have side notes over here, because I don't want to commit to what's going to be in, you know, this is going to be what I'm going to bring with me.

 

Pastor West: [00:30:00] So I heard write this down and I'm like, okay, what for? So let's go around the side. And he said, not writing notebook. I was like, okay, but what for? He said, write down the word beginning. Write down the word end. So I wrote beginning. He said, go to the right and I write down in. He says, now count the letters and begin and end. And I said, well, beg. And nine letters beginning in three letters. He says, now find out what nine and three mean. Well, nine, they're really similar in a lot of ways. The biblical meaning, number nine, the Bible represents divine completeness or finality. Three is completeness, wholeness, and the Trinity nine and three is 12. Look up. 1212 represents the power of the authority and the perfection of government of God, that which will never end. In other words, what he's saying, what I started in Genesis. I will complete exactly what I said all the way through the book of Revelation. In Isaiah he said, my government shall never come to an end. In revelation 2112, there's 12 gates in the New Jerusalem. In revelation 2116 to 17, there's 12 foundations of the New Jerusalem. In revelation 22 two, there's the tree of life. In the new creation will bear 12 kinds of fruit.

 

Pastor West: [00:31:23] So there's a government of heaven. And, uh. And there's a rule in heaven. And there's a majesty in heaven. And when you read, uh, revelation 21 three, it says, 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 he will be, and they shall be his people. And God himself shall be with them, and be their God. You see that there's the government of of heaven, and you see that he he rules forever. Um, everything that's wrong today. Is only wrong. As you know for one reason sin in the world. There's some beautiful places on this earth to go visit. But you haven't seen them yet the way that they're supposed to look, because they still have the stain of the curse on colors will never be on the earth. What? They will be in heaven. Beauty like we've never seen. We've never been. We've never saw the creation adorned as God created it before they were sent on the earth. All these things will change forever. I remember one time. Uh, my mother said when she had a visitation. She said. She said she. We'll stand there, she said. There was a boy and a girl with her mother, I think, or Granny Vic, I don't know which one and just had a dream of heaven. And she said, I just knew who that boy and girl was.

 

Pastor West: [00:33:16] She said, that was the boy, the girl and the son that I lost. Um, and carrying them and their pregnancy. And she said the child wasn't fully grown, but they weren't a baby either. And I said, what do you mean you knew? She said, I just knew that was those were my two kids. That and she said they were with my mother and grandmother. And one of them dropped something and they reached to go pick it up and eat it. And she said, I don't do that. It's got germs on it. And she says her mother and grandmother looked at her and she said, there's there's no there's no germs here. Well, we would know that. But just think about there's no germs. You know, we have something called what, the five second rule. If it's something you really like and you drop it. I mean, it might even be a two minute rule for something you really like, but there's no germs in heaven. We have no idea how wonderful this place is going to be. We can read about it. There's some things that we know. There's a lot of things that we don't know. There's a lot of, uh, uh, symbolic things in the book of revelation, but there's enough in here to, to be excited about it. So, um. There's some no more's in heaven. That's Morse. But no Morse.

 

Pastor West: [00:34:39] Revelation 21 four says there will be no more tears in heaven. Because he'll wipe away every tear from your eyes. There'll be no more sign. There'll be. The more dying. There'll be. The more death. Nor sorrow nor crying. There'll be no more pain. Be the more disease there'll be, the more sin. Which was the problem from the beginning. Stands behind every sorrow, every tear, every pain, every sickness, every disease. Satan today is the present God of this world. Second Corinthians four four. But his time here is up in our study. He won't be here. He's locked up and shut up for all eternity. Jesus said he was a liar and a murderer from the very beginning. But his presence will never be known in heaven, nor felt. Heaven has a glory about it because God is glorious. Uh, in the sights of heaven. It shines with the very glory of God. Revelation 2123 says, the city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of God did lighten it. And the lamb is the light thereof. So John saying all these things and he's seeing heaven. He says, there's no sun there, but there doesn't need to be a sun. I mean, just the glory of God radiating from him is lighting this entire planet. Amen. And so we don't need a moon. We don't need a sun. The glory of God will do that.

 

Pastor West: [00:36:15] The city of the New Jerusalem is breathtakingly beautiful. It's a city of gold. Y'all, y'all care of gold. The gold is so pure, it's translucent. There are several colored jewels or breeding colors. I won't go through all of them, but the walls are jasper, if that's okay with you all. Or is that sheetrock to see? No, it was Jasper. Yeah. That's right. Jasper. Yeah. The walls are not there to keep you in. It's not there to keep the wicked out. They're not there. The walls are there for the glory of God as a monumental to him. And on those walls are the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, and on the walls are the names of the 12 apostles and the foundations. According to revelation 2121. The size of the city is approximately 1500 miles. The city's four square for 1400 miles in every direction. 1500 miles straight up. Most theologians believe it's like. It's like, you know, first floor, second floor, third floor, with thousands and thousands of feet between each floor, where aircraft can go thousands of feet in the air before you get to the second floor. Interesting, isn't it? Uh, so the city's four square. The city's approximately 225. Million square miles at its base. Kind of large. God, please don't have some people there. The sanctuary of the city has talked about revelation 21 two says, and I saw no temple, no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are the temple of it.

 

Pastor West: [00:38:00] And the Old Testament. There was a temple. We know that there was a picture and there was a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament it had a gate. But Jesus said, But I'm the door. In the Old Testament. It was, you know, it was types and shadows of that which was to come. It had an alter. But how many know that Jesus shed his blood for us? It had a labor, but now we're cleansed by the word. It had a table of bread on it. But Jesus is the bread of life. It had a golden, um, candelabra. But Jesus is the light of the world. Incense was burned, but now Jesus is your high priest. We will see and recognize friends. People sometimes say, well, well, we know people that we knew on the earth. Absolutely. Unless you don't want to remember me anymore, maybe he'll let you work that out for you. I don't know, that's a bad joke, but anyway. No, but you'll you'll see, you'll you'll see people and friends and people that you knew first. John three two says, so we wish you we shall see him as he is. First Corinthians 1547 says, just as your earthly bodies will be part of the first Adam, so your resurrected bodies will be like Christ, glorious bodies, everybody okay to have a glorious body? Amen.

 

Pastor West: [00:39:18] Philippians 321 says, just as we have been born in the likeness of the earthly man, so we shall bear the likeness of the man from heaven, who you will bear the likeness of the man from heaven. First Corinthians 49 and verse 53 says, for the perishable must clothe yourself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When you read John, the Gospel of John, verse 20, verse 16, Mary, remember she recognized Jesus after he was resurrected. She knew who he was. So it stands to reason that we will be recognized and we'll be able to recognize people. Of course, there's a godliness of heaven, uh, because heaven's a new place made for new creations. Heaven will be inhabited by millions and billions of people. Every little aborted baby will be there. The saints of all the ages will be there. The saints from the nations of the world will be there. But no one who did not receive Jesus would not be there. There is a gladness of heaven. Heaven is a meaningful place. It's a place of divine satisfaction. Revelation 22 one says, when you go to heaven, you're going to drink from the Crystal River. Didn't say like Mitchell. Coosa River didn't mention none of that. I couldn't find anything in there. This is. He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the lamb.

 

Pastor West: [00:40:53] And it said the Crystal River. The Crystal River symbolizes that your deepest needs are going to be met. That's what this symbolically means, that every thirst that you have. That is, God given will be satisfied in heaven. Everything that's meaningful to you. God is going to quench your thirst throughout all eternity in heaven. If you want to know there are going to be trees in heaven. Revelation 22 two. There's trees bearing 12 manner of fruits. Uh, says the glow of divine health and will be upon everyone in heaven. Uh, heaven will be a place of incredible sight. Revelation 24 says, and they shall see his face. What does that mean? We see Jesus. We shall see Jesus. Yes, your Lord, your King, your God, your Redeemer. He'll be in heaven. Why will heaven be so glorious? Because your loved ones will be there. If they knew Jesus. The separation is over. The hope that we have, as Paul said. That as believers that we would have the hope of seeing them again. Is has finally come to pass forever. Together forever. No remembrance of past days. Hurts or sorrows. No remembrance of loneliness. Spouses and parents and kids and grandkids. Grandchildren. Friends. And if it helps some of you all. And for the pet lover in you, your fur babies. Also, your resources are in heaven, not from the earth to heaven, but you'll have resources in heaven.

 

Pastor West: [00:42:47] First Peter three four says, you have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, that does not fade away, reserved for you in heaven. So when God became your heavenly father, you became an heir and joint heir with Jesus Christ. Which can't be touched by corruption. Inflation and heaven there. You can't be taxed. There's no tax day. Politicians. Have no place there. So there's no taxes in heaven. Good reason to go out there. Also your residence. Your residence is in heaven. Philippians 320. Your citizenship is in heaven. You won't be there on vacation. You won't be there visiting. Like you. Go visit a friend. You won't be there on a two year visa. Like. Personally, I was born in Michigan, but I was raised in Alabama. You know, that's just that's a natural birth. Born in Detroit. Lived and raised in Alabama. But this world is not our home. Because your citizenship is in heaven. Heaven is a place of great rewards. And God is excited about rewarding you. In heaven. The Bible talks about rewards. It talks about crowns. And there's several different types of crowns, but rewards are also referred to just rewards in general, also referred to as crowns. The Bible says we will cast our crowns before his feet. As an act of love and worship to Jesus. It'll be like nothing you ever imagined or experienced before. Matthew six says that we are to store up riches in heaven. I want to finish this morning by saying this.

 

Pastor West: [00:44:42] If you want to build equity in heaven. Today. How can you do that? Or can you do that? I believe that you can. The only way that I know to build equity in heaven is by investing in people. Today, on this earth, into his kingdom. You can't take anything into heaven. No personal possessions. Only people. So we're need to invest in people. Make sure that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, and make sure theirs is to. In revelation 2127 it says, but there shall by no means enter into heaven anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Excuse me. I want to finish with reading a story to you. That's true story that I don't know if you've ever heard it, but. The church door. Kind of sad. Kind of interesting. Sure does make you think. But it really kind of drives this point home. What we're talking about this morning about building equity in heaven. And it goes off like this now, just right to you. It says, uh. There's a woman named Ruthanna Metzger or Metzger, and she was a professional singer. And her story goes like this. She said it's not unusual to be asked just to be asked to sing for a wedding. She was a great singer, but it was a bit unusual to sing for The wedding of a millionaire.

 

Pastor West: [00:46:26] I knew the wedding would be picture perfect and would and was pleased to be able to participate. But when the invitation of the reception arrived, I knew it would be something exceptional. While the reception was held on the top two floors of Seattle's Columbia Tower, the northwest tallest skyscraper, he was even more beautiful than I imagined. Waiters wore snappy black tuxedos and offered luxurious hors d'oeuvres, appetizers, exotic beverages, and the most discriminating with the most discriminating taste. The atmosphere is one of grace and sophistication. After about an hour of merriment, the bride and groom approached a beautiful glass and brass staircase that led to the top floor. The satin ribbon draped across the bottom of the stairs was cut, and an announcement was made that the wedding feast was about to happen. The bride and groom ascended the stairs and the guests followed. What a lavish event of which to be! A part of a gentleman. A gentleman with a beautifully bound book greeted us as we reached the top of the stairs. He said, May I have your name, please? She said. My name is Ruth Metzger. This is my husband, Roy Metzger. The gentlemen searched through the M's, he said, but I'm not finding that. Would you spell that, please? She said. I spelled it slowly and clearly, and after searching throughout the book, the gentleman looked up and said, I'm sorry, but your name is not in here.

 

Pastor West: [00:47:55] You can't attend the banquet without your name in this book. She said. But there must be some mistake, she said. I'm the singer. I'm the one who sang for their wedding. The gentleman calmly answered, it doesn't matter who you are or what you did. You cannot attend this banquet without your name in the book. As I looked throughout, looked around the room, I thought briefly run in to the room and trying to plead my case. But with a hundred guests on the stairs behind us and every place of the tables assigned according to their thoughtful choices of the bride and groom, I stood silent. The gentleman with the book motioned to the waiter and said, shall these people to the service elevator, please? We followed the waiter past beautifully decorated laden tables laden with shrimp, whole smoked salmon, and even carefully carved ice sculptures. Adjacent to the banquet area was an orchestra, its members all dressed in dazzling white tuxedos, preparing to fill the room with glorious music. But we were led to the service. Elevators stepped in and the waiter himself pushed G for garage. Thoughtfully, my husband didn't say a word, nor did I. As Roy drove out of the Columbia Tower's garage, we both remained silent. After driving several miles in silence, Roy reached over and gently put his hand on my arm. He said, sweetheart, what happened? And then I remembered, she said.

 

Pastor West: [00:49:20] When the invitation arrived for the reception, I was very busy. I never bothered to return the RSVP. Besides, I was, I was, I was the singer. Surely I'll go to the reception without returning to RSVP. But as we drove on, I began to weep. I wasn't crying because I'd missed the most lavish banquet of my life, but I was weeping because suddenly I knew. Well, it would be like some day for people as they stand before the entrance of heaven. People who are just too busy to respond to Christ's invitation to this heavenly banquet. People who assumed that the good things that they had done, every perfect church attendance, are singing in the choir would be enough to gain entry to heaven. People who would look for their name in the Lamb's Book of Life would not find it there. People who did not have time to respond to Christ's gracious invitation to have their sins forgiven and accept him into their hearts. And then I begin to weep again, because I was so grateful that I had many years earlier, to see Christ as my personal Savior and can be confident. My name is written in the most important book of all, the Lamb's Book of Life. Is yours. Revelation 2012. And I saw the dead. Great and small, before the throne. And the books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life.

 

Pastor West: [00:50:36] And the dead were judged to what they had done as recorded in the books. Real story drives home the point. Your name has to be in the Lamb's Book of Life. So what do we do? What do we do from here? Well, we've been using, like Joe Morris's analogy that he kind of talks about a lot is. Uses as a sports analogy, he says. You know, when you get to the last two minutes of the game, you're down a score or two scores. You have to throw the playbook out. If you don't have any timeouts, you don't run it up the middle. Cause you're out of time. In the church needs to pick up her pace. And recognize what's all around us, which is people. The equity of heaven is all around us. You don't have to go get in a plane and go thousands of miles to all distant countries to find people who need Jesus. They're all around you. Someone asked a number of years ago, they said, I feel like I have a call to go to China. Could you help me? Could you give me any advice of. You know, I've never even been on any kind of mission trip, but I really have it in my heart to go to China. Could you give me any practical advice? And he says, I sure can. He said, start right here in your neighborhood and work backwards and work your way to China.

 

Pastor West: [00:52:12] And when you get in the back yard and you're cutting the bushes and you're cutting your grass and you see a neighbor just reach over the gate and begin to, you know, build a relationship with him and, and find out. Does he know Jesus? Then go to the next neighbor, then go into your city. Then go into your neighbor and cities. Find out what you can do in your state. Then work your way. And he said, one day you'll find yourself in China and you say, I'm not quite sure how I got there. And he says, but you will remember you started in your backyard. It's wonderful that we have such a great future ahead of us. It's exciting. Not everybody's going to be there. There's going to be some meaningful and nice people who just never took the time. Never thought it was that necessary. Thought they were okay. Thought they were just pretty good people. But there's no such thing as pretty good people. You're born in this world with a sin nature. Without being born again, no man shall enter into heaven. Well, the job's enormous, but you're not called to do it by yourself. No one's responsible for the whole world. No one individual. No one individual can send every can send every every missionary. You can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone. It's not just who you're seeing. This is just me.

 

Pastor West: [00:53:37] I don't think it's okay just to have the attitude. Well, I, you know, I gave the missionary and they're going to go. And that's my thing. Well, that is part of it. And that is true. That is gospel. I mean that that is true. I mean, when you invest in giving into the missions of the world, you you have done and there is a reward for that. But I don't think that stops. That doesn't stop with us there. You have influence. You know people, and you can reach people that none of us can. There's people who's never going to come to these church doors that I'll never meet, but they'll talk to you because they know you on a different level. Maybe one day they'll follow you in here. Back to T.L. Osborn, he said. Churches are doing the backwards. They're trying to invite people to church, he says. Backwards first to Christ, then to the church. But the church is trying to get him in the building. You know, Bill's a pretty good fisherman, I think, but I ain't never heard him talk about. He caught a bass in his bathtub. I don't think he's ever caught any trout in his living room. You know why there's not any there. You have to go out where fish are. Yeah. You say? Well, I don't even know how to talk to people like that, you know, because they're lost. Before you was born again, you was what?

 

Speaker2: [00:54:58] Mm.

 

Pastor West: [00:55:00] It's not that complicated. You're not responsible for the decision, but we have responsibility to bring them to that place. I was walking in the barracks the other day and a guy was approaching me. I was walking, he was he was coming out and I was walking in in about 20 foot away. He was probably about ten years younger than I am. And he said, he said 20 foot away. He says, kind of a loud voice. He says, good evening to you, young man. Got my attention when he said, young man. I said, got to be a good guy already. He said, do you know Jesus? And I said, absolutely. How about you? He said, yes, sir. He said, that's all I need to know. We just passed each other. Was that hard? Yeah. Yeah. He didn't stop me. Whatever. He just carried his voice 20 foot away. And as we got right to each other, I said absolutely. I didn't even tell him I was a pastor. And did you know they want to be pastors? You give that. But I'm a pastor.

 

Speaker2: [00:56:09] But do you know Jesus?

 

Pastor West: [00:56:12] Just like the singer. But I'm the singer. I mean, of course I should be invited to make it. I was the singer I sang at the wedding. But your name is not written in the book. So there's a great registry and we got to make sure our name is written there. I know that you know this. And we're we're sending these broadcasts to I think Eliot told me last week, 52 different countries every week. And thousands of people are downloading messages all over the world in 52 countries. Actually, I think you told me over 200,000 servers have been downloaded. So people need Jesus here, but they need where you are in your country. I really feel like we don't have much time. I really feel that way. I really feel like we're on the wind down. When I was writing this. Getting it prepared for today about the first of the week. I was thinking about, you know, he says you're thinking in terms of chronological order. He says, but this is not the end of teaching in times. He said. This is a new beginning for you. He said, you're not going to have to. You're now going to incorporate all these things in from here all the way into the future. He says. Because the time has shifted, the time has changed. A third of this book is prophecy. How do you ignore a third of this book? And what you find out is the more that you study over here, everything else comes together and you find its origin over here.

 

Pastor West: [00:57:58] It's from Genesis to Revelation. This book has one central figure, and his name is Jesus Christ and the Old Testament and New Testament. One central figure. So we can't just ignore these books back here because it has a lot of symbolism. And so I don't know about all them beasts and all that kind of stuff. Well. You know I this approach is different. I said there's 22 chapters in there, and I just can't imagine I'm going to be intimidated by 22 chapters, 22 chapters. I'm not going to be intimidated by 22 chapters. I got to read it says, blessed is he who reads it. He didn't even say if he understood it. He said he. Just get blessed. Get your socks blessed off. If you just read it. I said, well, I can do that. The good news for the believer about this book is there's no bad news. He said. When you see these things happening. So October, I think it was the seventh. Everything changed in the world, in Israel. Israel's the Timepiece. Israel is how you know what what time it is on God's clock. Every major player. That will come. It's funny, when you get to looking at this, you get to studying this. You get to in time to see some of the nations that will come against Israel.

 

Pastor West: [00:59:24] When we come back with Jesus and the second coming half of Israel will just be about devastated, be wiped out. But when we come back, Jesus will deal with it. Never gets off the horse, I can't see. We're just there with him, I think. Just as like it's like a mule. We're just with him. But it never says Jesus ever gets off the horse. It's just fire comes down and it consumes them all. And. And so you see that that you see that there's an acceleration that's taking place in every major player. Almost everyone who will come against Israel in the time for the Armageddon is lining himself up now against them. Now you see what's happening even in the United States of America on some of our college campuses, that you have some people who are so misguided in their thinking. You have our Iran. He's chanting. I mean, Iran's goal is to wipe Israel off the map and death to America because we support her. So the spirit of Antichrist is already always has been, but the spirit of Antichrist is already on. You know, that means opposed to and anti means opposed to, but it also means instead of. The anti Antichrist. Anti anointed is instead of and opposed to the real Christ. Well that spirit is on the earth today. And they work their agenda very quietly. They don't come out with pitch, you know, pitchforks.

 

Pastor West: [01:00:57] And while the church sleeps, they work while the church does nothing but has a potluck dinner and eats casseroles. Huh. It has a fifth Sunday singing and claps her hands, talking about wanting to be wonderful over there. It will be wonderful over there. But. But the time is now. You know, it wouldn't take that long to reach this planet. You know all those statistics, you can look at them. But if you had ever believed or just read someone next week and taught one person to reach one, we could wrap this thing up in a few weeks. The Second Coming signs in Matthew, because a lot of those signs have been mistaken for before the rapture. But there is no signs for the rapture. Absolutely. Silence their signals. But there's no signs. Those second coming. Everyone on the or everyone on on the earth does not have to hear the kingdom before Jesus comes back. They will hear during the tribulation. You'll have the 12 tribes of Israel. You'll have 140,000 priests, and you'll have all those who'll be saved. You'll have the two witnesses, and many of them will be saved. The Bible says even at the end time, before the seven years is up, angels will crisscross the planet and go to even the remote areas, and they'll preach the gospel themselves. I'm so thankful that God gives people a chance, even after it looked like it's all over.

 

Speaker2: [01:02:22] Yeah.

 

Pastor West: [01:02:23] But why go that way? Why don't you just go ahead and and settle out of court? Don't go to court, settle all the court. Well, so we kind of placed a little foundation of the chronological order. Now we come back and we can add to it here and there as time goes forward. Um, because we have a we got a big job to do and we got a short time to do it, but we're more than able to do it.