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Devotional for the week – 17 November 2008 Sermon Title: A Whole New World Introduction: The Necessity Of Change There are things in the world that are old but good. We cherish these ‘vintage’ items because they remind us of a time whereby things were simpler, younger, and more innocent. However, change is necessary, in order for improvement to take place. Imperfection In This World In Revelations 21:1-2, God speaks of a day when He will usher in a new heavens and a new earth. The simple reason for this need for change is because the present isn’t good enough! But often, like fools, we fight the changes that God wants to bring about in our imperfect lives and this imperfect world. We cling unto the old, because we fear unfamiliarity. Yet our familiarity with this life and world is precisely the reason why death is such a struggle to us. We do not want to leave and go to heaven, or have this world end and experience God’s new paradise – because we aren’t familiar with the wonderful paradise/heaven that God promises! So we fight against death; as if God weren’t waiting for us on the other side of physical death, as if God weren’t here on Earth to care for those we leave behind, all the time forgetting the imperfection of this world and of our bodies. The Reason For Imperfection Revelations 21:3-4 points out that God’s dwelling will be with us one day and it shall be a time of rejoicing and there’d be no more death, sorrow, suffering or pain. This world is imperfect, because God’s dwelling is not with us yet! And this is because of the existence of sin in this world since the time when Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed God. However, one day, that will all change. Sin will be wiped out when this world ends, and only those washed by the blood of Jesus will remain, by the grace of God. Only then- as Revelations 21:3-4 states, will God make His dwelling with humankind once again, as it was in the beginning, before Adam & Eve fell to sin after eating from the tree of knowledge. Scripture records that in Revelations 22:2 that then, the Tree of Life shall be given once again to the people to eat from, and glean from its benefits. Ongoing Imperfection But until that happens, we still have to plod on in this world and this life, battling the constant imperfection that continues to exist. We live in an in-between time- between the first and second coming of Jesus before He comes again to judge the world. Meanwhile, our bodies will continue to wear out. When we fear the coming of the end of our own lives and this world, let us see through God’s perspective. We start NEW then we grow OLD, then we die/the world ends – then He makes everything NEW! In other words, we have an increasing hope as we near the end of life and of this world, because we know that Christ Jesus is going to make everything new! (Romans 8:19-20, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14) Conclusion: A Whole New World God has planned for a day whereby we enter into His paradise, and experience this wonderful promise for ourselves, in which there are no more tears, crying, pain, sorrow or suffering. In Revelations 21:6-7, God says that this promise, is given to those who “thirst” and those who “overcome”- it is these that shall be given to drink from the waters of life and shall be given the right to become children of God. Firstly, ‘those who thirst’ refers to people who know this life, this world isn’t perfect and not enough for them. And they long for heaven. Are you thirsty, my friend? Sadly, if you’ve found your satisfaction here on earth, then God’s promises of the new heavens and the new earth will hold no appeal to you. This refers to those who remain steadfast in their faith in God. On the day sin becomes rampant on the face of this earth and when many will experience their love growing cold, those who endure until the end, will be saved (Matthew 24:12-13). Those who hold firm to their faith until the end are the overcomers that Revelations 21 speaks of. Response Prayer Lord Jesus, I surrender my heart to You today. Hear the cry of my heart for You, come and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Fill me with a holy thirst for You and let all the things of the current world grow dim in the light of Your beauty and grace. Lord Jesus, I put my trust and hope in You and I long for the day that I can be with you in Eternity. Amen. Sermon by Pastor Joel Yong
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