REVELATION 21:1-5 | MAKING ALL THINGS NEW

MAKING ALL THINGS NEW

REVELATION 21:1-5

DECEMBER 31, 2017

WELL, THIS IS IT, MY LAST SERMON FOR 2017.  INTO THE FOLDER IT GOES.  I HAVE SERMONS IN FOLDERS DATING BACK TO 1983 WHEN I FIRST ENTERED THE MINISTRY.  HUNDREDS OF THEM STASHED AWAY, FOR WHO KNOWS WHAT END.

AND WHILE THERE ARE CERTAINLY THEMES, IDEAS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS THAT I’VE USED MORE THAN ONCE IN THE PAST 35 YEARS, I DON’T PREACH SERMONS TWICE.

ONE OF MY SEMINARY PROFESSORS, HALF-JOKING, I THINK, USED TO KID THAT BEFORE HE BECAME A PROFESSOR, AND WAS SERVING CHURCHES AS A PASTOR, HE HAD A GREAT BIG, OLD WOODEN BARREL, THAT HE’D THROW HIS USED SERMONS INTO – ONE AFTER THE OTHER – AND THAT WHEN HE WENT TO A NEW CHURCH – HE’D SIMPLY FLIP THE BARREL OVER AND START PREACHING THEM ALL OVER AGAIN.

HE WAS JOKING – I’M SURE.

SO, THIS IS MY LAST SERMON FOR THE YEAR, AND IT SEEMS ONLY RIGHT THEN, THAT I AM PREACHING FROM THE LAST OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE – REVELATION.

BUT, MY SERMON FOR THIS MORNING ISN’T SO MUCH MY LAST SERMON IN 2017 AS IT IS MY FIRST SERMON FOR 2018, BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT THE NEW YEAR;

AND MAKING ALL THINGS NEW, AND THAT’S ALSO, IN A SENSE, WHAT REVELATION IS ABOUT, AND CERTAINLY WHAT OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING IS ABOUT.

IN REALITY, HOWEVER THIS IS SOMETHING OF A GAME WE PLAY WITH OURSELVES – COMPLETE WITH THE CARTOON OF THE OLD MAN OF 2017, BENT AND BEDRAGGLED, STUMBLING PAST THE NEWBORN BABY OF 2018.

WE DO THE SAME THING AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT – A LITTLE LIKE CINDERELLA – BELIEVING THAT ONCE THE BALL DROPS, ONCE THE SHOUTING OF “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” CEASES, AND THE FINAL NOTES OF AULD LANG SYNE ARE SUNG…

THAT SOMEHOW, MAGICALLY, EVERYTHING IS NEW AGAIN – A NEW YEAR, A NEW ME, A NEW YOU, A NEW US, A NEW WORLD!

THE YEAR IS FRESH, A BLANK SLATE, JUST READY TO BE WRITTEN UPON;

AND OFTEN, THE FIRST THING WE WRITE ARE ALL THOSE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS WE MAKE FOR OURSELVES (AND PERHAPS FOR OTHERS) BELIEVING – REALLY BELIEVING – THAT THIS WILL BE THE YEAR WE KEEP THEM!

AN ADULT SON HOME FOR THE CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR HOLIDAY ASKED HIS DAD IF HE HAD ANY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:

“YEA,” HIS DAD SAID, “I’M RESOLVING TO BE A BETTER PERSON.”

“WHAT ABOUT YOU MOM?” THE SON ASKED.  “MY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IS TO SEE TO IT THAT YOUR FATHER KEEPS HIS.”

JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS I SAW AN ARTICLE THAT SAID, AND I CAN’T REMEMBER THE EXACT PERCENTAGES, BUT IT WAS HIGH, VERY HIGH, OF HOW MANY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ARE BROKEN BEFORE JANUARY 31^ST.

WELL, WE SAY, IT WAS A GOOD MONTH!

MY GUESS IS, THAT MANY RESOLUTIONS ARE GONE LONG BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH…PERHAPS, BEFORE THE END OF THE EVENING OF THE FIRST DAY!

BUT IT IS A HOPE – IT IS OUR HOPE – TO MAKE ALL THINGS NEW – OR AT LEAST SOME THINGS – AT LEAST, A NEW US!

AND SO, WE SET OUR SIGHTS ON BEING BETTER, DOING BETTER, LIVING BETTER, EATING BETTER, EXERCISING MORE, READING MORE, LEARNING MORE…

AND THEN THERE THE “LESS-ES” – DRINKING LESS, SPENDING LESS, CURSING LESS, LESS JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS, LESS PREJUDGING OTHERS, LESS NAME CALLING, LESS ANGER AND ANXIETY… LESS YOU-NAME-IT.

NOT SURPRISINGLY, THIS IS THE SAME SORT OF “MAKING ALL THINGS NEW” THAT GOD SAYS HE’S GOING TO DO IN HIS REVELATION TO JOHN.

“WHEN THE KINGDOM COMES,” GOD SAYS, “ALL THINGS WILL BE MADE NEW,” INCLUDING US, AND HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND THE SKY AND THE SEA, AND, WELL, NOT JUST PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING, BUT EVERYTHING!

AND THE WAY GOD CHOOSES TO DESCRIBE “ALL THINGS NEW” IS THE SAME WAY WE WOULD DESCRIBE THEM;

WHICH, SHOULD GIVE US PAUSE FOR THOUGHT, I SUPPOSE, AS TO WHETHER THESE ARE GOD’S WORDS, OR WORDS WE HAVE PUT IN GOD’S MOUTH.

EITHER WAY, THEY MAKE SENSE, BECAUSE THE WAY GOD DESCRIBES PERFECTION, AND THE MAKING OF ALL THINGS NEW;

AND THE WAY WE DO IT, IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, AND THEY FALL INTO TWO PRIMARY CATEGORIES.

FIRST, WHATEVER IS – WHEN MADE NEW, WHEN THE KINGDOM COMES, WHEN HEAVEN ARRIVES, OR WE ARRIVE IN HEAVEN, IS THE BEST THAT’S EVER BEEN.

SO, SCRIPTURE DESCRIBES ALL OF THIS AS A CITY, BUT NOT JUST ANY OLD CITY, BUT A GREAT CITY; A CITY WITH STREETS OF GOLD, AND GATES OF PEARL, AND WALLS WITH SILVER AND GEMSTONE INLAY; THE BEST CITY EVER!

OR, ALTERNATELY, THIS PERFECTION IS DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF A GARDEN;

BUT NOT JUST YOUR ORDINARY, EVERYDAY, GARDEN-VARIETY-SORT-OF-GARDEN, BUT THE BEST DARN GARDEN EVER – GREEN PASTURES, STILL WATERS, FULL OF GOOD THINGS TO EAT, MILK AND HONEY FLOWING FREELY.

THEN THERE’S JESUS’ OWN DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN, OF GOD’S KINGDOM, AS A HOUSE – BUT NOT JUST ANY OLD HOUSE, AND CERTAINLY NOT A TINY HOUSE NATION HOUSE, BUT A MANSION, WITH MANY ROOMS, HUGE AND VAST, WITH ROOM ENOUGH FOR ALL.

YOU SEE WHAT I’M SAYING, ALL THIS PERFECTION THAT IS TO BE, THE KINGDOM COME, IT’LL BE LIKE THINGS WE KNOW, ONLY BETTER, TO THE NTH DEGREE!  BETTER THAN EVER!  THE BEST!

THE SECOND WAY SCRIPTURE DESCRIBES ALL THIS GOD GIVEN PERFECTION, THE KINGDOM COME, A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, IS THAT ANYTHING BAD, NEGATIVE, EVIL, WICKED, SAD, UNHEALTHY, DANGEROUS, OR HARMFUL, ALL OF THAT’LL BE GONE!

NO MORE SICKNESS OR SUFFERING, NO MORE DYING OR CRYING, NO MORE DARKNESS, NO NIGHT, ONLY LIGHT – AND THAT, THE LIGHT OF GOD!

THERE WILL BE NO PAIN OR SORROW, NO MOURNING OR GRIEVING, NO DEATH;

AND NO MORE SEA; WHICH USUALLY BOTHERS THOSE OF US WHO LOVE THE SEA;

BUT IN ANCIENT TIMES THE SEA WASN’T JUST THE SEA, BUT IT WAS BELIEVED, THE ABODE OF ALL EVIL THINGS, AND THEREFORE WHEN REVELATION SAYS THERE WILL BE NO MORE SEA – WHAT IT REALLY MEANS IS, NO MORE EVIL.

IN THIS PERFECT NEW CREATION OF THINGS, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO REVELATION, EVEN HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL BE MADE NEW!

AND BECAUSE MOST OF THIS IS HARD FOR US TO IMAGINE, THE REVELATION OF JOHN COMPARES IT, ONE MORE TIME, TO SOMETHING WITH WHICH WE CAN IDENTIFY.

TO THAT MOMENT A BRIDEGROOM FIRST LAYS EYES ON HIS BRIDE COMING DOWN THE AISLE.  REMEMBER THAT MOMENT?!

LET ME TELL YOU, AFTER PERFORMING A COUPLE OF HUNDRED WEDDINGS IN MY CAREER, I CAN TELL YOU, LOTS OF FOLKS ARE WATCHING THE GROOM, AND ANY PHOTOGRAPHER WORTH THEIR SALT, FIRST LOOKS TO THE GROOM, AND TO HIS FACE, TO SEE HIS LOOK, THAT LOOK, WHEN HE FIRST SEES HER;

TO CAPTURE IT IN PICTURES;

BEFORE TURNING THEIR ATTENTION TO THE BRIDE, FOR WHOM THERE’S PLENTY OF TIME TO LOOK, WHAT WITH HER LONG MARCH DOWN THE AISLE.

IT’S THAT FIRST LOOK, THAT FIRST MOMENT, THOUGH HE’S SEEN HER HUNDREDS OF TIMES BEFORE, THAT THE AUTHOR OF REVELATION IS TRYING TO COMPARE ALL OF HEAVEN TO.

THAT GRAND AND GLORIOUS LOOK, THAT MOMENT SHE FIRST CATCHES HIS EYE, THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GETTING AT THE AUTHOR SAYS, ONLY, IN THE CASE OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, THAT MOMENT, LASTS FOR ETERNITY!

“SEE, I AM MAKING ALL THINGS NEW,” SAYS THE LORD; AND THEN GOD TELLS JOHN TO WRITE IT DOWN – FOR WHAT GOD SAYS IS: “TRUSTWORTHY AND TRUE”.

SO, WHAT DOES GOD’S “MAKING ALL THINGS NEW” HAVE TO DO WITH OUR FEEBLE ATTEMPTS AT MAKING THIS A NEW YEAR, AND IN IT, A NEW US?

WELL, IT CERTAINLY SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT LIKE GOD, WE HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE; AND LIKE GOD, WE CAN CHOOSE TO CREATE THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND PERFECT, OR SOMETHING FAR LESS SO.

2018 GIVES A CHANCE, A NEW OPPORTUNITY, A NEW YEAR, IN WHICH TO DECIDE: WILL WE CREATE THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND PERFECT, OR SOMETHING LESS THAN OUR BEST?

SECONDLY, I THINK GOD’S CREATIVE POWER, AND OURS, BINDS US TOGETHER, SO THAT WE AND GOD ARE PARTNERS IN ALL OF THIS, AND NOWHERE IS THIS TRUER THAN IN CREATION ITSELF.

SO, 2018 IS A NEW CHANCE, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO BETTER BY CREATION; TO TREAT THE EARTH, AND ALL PEOPLE, AND ALL PLANTS AND ANIMALS, AND ALL THINGS, EVERYWHERE, AS GOD WOULD TREAT THEM, TREATS US.

PERHAPS THE GOLDEN RULE, “DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU” IS NOT RESERVED FOR PEOPLE/PEOPLE ENCOUNTERS ALONE, BUT INCLUDES ALL OF GOD’S GOOD CREATION AND CRITTERS.

THIRDLY, GOD’S “MAKING ALL THINGS NEW” AND OUR TRYING TO MAKE OLD THINGS NEW, SHOULD GIVE US A BIT OF HOPE, THAT WHILE WE MAY NOT ALWAYS SUCCEED, ALL THE TIME, EVERYWHERE;

THERE’S ENOUGH OF A CHANCE FOR SUCCESS, AT LEAST IN PART, FOR US TO KEEP RIGHT ON TRYING TO DO NEW THINGS BETTER;

A BETTER WORLD, A BETTER US, A BETTER MARRIAGE, BETTER PARENTING, BETTER BUSINESS PRACTICES, BETTER WHATEVER.

WE WON’T ALWAYS SUCCEED, BUT WE MUST “TRY, TRY AGAIN;” AND NOT JUST TRY, BUT SUCCEED, AS PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE, AT THINGS TO WHICH THEY SET THEIR MINDS.

FINALLY, TO WORK AT MAKING THINGS NEW, BETTER, BEST, OFTEN INVOLVES KINGDOM KINDS OF THINGS.

WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS, THAT AS WE ADVANCE NEW IDEAS, GOOD IDEAS, BENEFICIAL IDEAS, THINGS THAT PROMOTE WHAT’S BEST IN LIFE, BEST FOR THE WORLD, BEST FOR US…

THAT WHEN THAT IS OUR AIM, OUR GOAL, IN SOME SMALL WAY, AT LEAST, PERHAPS, WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE MAKING OF GOD’S GOOD KINGDOM ON EARTH.

“FORGIVING AS WE ARE FORGIVEN,” IS ONE WAY WE SAY IT.

AND, NOT ONLY ASKING GOD FOR OUR DAILY BREAD, BUT SHARING OUR DAILY BREAD WITH OTHERS, IS ANOTHER WAY.

“THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE” ARE DEPENDENT CLAUSES, AND THE WAYS, AND THE TIMES, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WE GET TO DO GOD’S WILL, MOST CERTAINLY ARE TIMES WHEN GOD’S KINGDOM COMES.

AND NOT ALLOWING OURSELVES TO BE LED INTO TEMPTATION, AND NOT LEADING OTHERS INTO TEMPTATION, IS YET ANOTHER SIGN OF KINGDOM DWELLING.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS WE CAN MAKE THINGS NEW, MAKE OURSELVES NEW, BY JUST DOING A FEW OF THE THINGS CHRIST HAS TAUGHT US.

MAKE THEM RESOLUTIONS IF THAT HELPS.  DON’T, IF THAT’LL HINDER YOU.

TELL SOMEONE ELSE WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO TO HELP USHER IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD THIS YEAR, WHENEVER, HOWEVER, YOU THINK YOU CAN, IF THAT’LL HELP KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE;

OR JUST LET GOD, AND GOD ALONE KNOW; THAT’S PLENTY, BELIEVE ME.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, IS TO REMEMBER WHAT GOD KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS ABOUT YOU, JUST AS YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND IT ABOUT YOURSELF;

AND CERTAINLY, WE KNOW ABOUT OTHERS: THAT WE AREN’T ALWAYS GOING TO GET THIS RIGHT; THAT WE’LL NEVER BE PERFECT THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN;

BUT LET’S NOT ALLOW THAT TO BE OUR REASON FOR NOT TRYING; OR FOR GIVING UP; OR FOR GIVING UP HOPE THAT WE CAN DO BETTER; AND OTHERS CAN DO BETTER;

AND THAT THE NEW YEAR IS A NEW CHANCE, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY; HOPEFULLY; EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE.

A LITTLE “CINDERELLA-ISH” I KNOW, BUT IT BEATS THE ALTERNATIVE.

AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING A LITTLE LIKE JACK PALANCE’S CHARACTER, CURLY, IN THE MOVIE CITY SLICKERS, I LEAVE YOU WITH ONE THING THIS MORNING; ONE WORD NOT TO SAY THIS YEAR.

ONE SIMPLE WORD, THAT IF WE’LL LEAVE IT OUT OF OUR VOCABULARY; LEAVE IT OUT OF OUR LIVES; LEAVE IT OUT OF WHATEVER WE DO THIS YEAR;

WILL HELP US ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL OF “MAKING ALL THINGS NEW” OR AT LEAST SOME THINGS NEW.

THAT ONE WORD IS “CAN’T”.  LET’S FORGET WE EVEN KNOW THAT WORD IN 2018.

I CAN’T WIN.  I CAN’T DO THAT.  I CAN’T FORGIVE HIM.  I CAN’T SEEM TO SAVE ENOUGH MONEY.  I CAN’T STOP WHATEVER… I CAN’T FIND THE TIME TO…

NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY, I JUST CAN’T CHANGE.

WANT TO MAKE 2018 A GREAT YEAR?  LET’S DROP THE WORD CAN’T FROM OUR VOCABULARY.

AND, IF WE EVER FIND OURSELVES SAYING IT, WHAT IF, IMMEDIATELY, WE REPLACE IT WITH THE WORD “CAN;” AND INSTEAD, SAY WHAT WE CAN DO!

(REDO ALL THE ABOVE USING THE WORD “CAN”)

“SEE, I AM MAKING ALL THINGS NEW,” SAYS THE LORD.

AND THEN THIS: “WRITE THIS, FOR THESE WORDS ARE TRUSTWORTHY AND TRUE.”

YES, THEY ARE!