All Things New || Victory Church [Heaven #1]

But before we jump into that, okay I want to pause and say happy new year victory If I have not had a chance to say happy new year to you guys. Yeah, happy new year I here's how I always think about new years. This is why I love new years. I view every new year I know there's nothing special about January 1st and nothing magical, right? but but I I view every new year like a blank canvas waiting to be painted on and I my prayer for you This has been my prayer for you that as you look back over this last year the canvas that you're paying that you're holding that God has already painted right I pray that it may not be everything you wanted it to be You may not be where you wanted to be but praise God. You're not who you used to be Come on and we can still praise God for his faithfulness last year And I pray that as you're picking up this blank canvas My prayer for you is that God would give you the faith that by this time next year You're gonna be holding the canvas that God is about to paint out over this next year And it's gonna be full of joy and Jesus and blessing and goodness and growth and freedom and healing and family and community I press my prayer for you and just real quick victory had an absolutely Amazing year this last year and we're gonna talk more about it over the coming weeks But I just want to give you a few numbers because I celebrate this we actually had 2,861 people join the church Last year that's some of you guys This is my favorite number 1,718 people were water baptized last year And get this get this don't clap too soon on this one. Okay 2,229 people rededicated their lives to Jesus and 121 people profess faith in Jesus for the first time hold on just during our Christmas services. That's the only Christmas And one more in February of this last year we were able to accomplish a goal that's been in Pastor Dennis and Colleen's heart the founders of this church Since the inception of this church in February of this last year we crested a hundred million dollars given to missions in The life of victory This pinch myself. Come on is absolutely amazing year. So here's what I want to do All right before we take another step. I want I want to pray and I want to thank God for this last year

I want to dedicate this next year to the Lord. So let's pray just for a second God We thank you for for this past year God the highs and the lows God you were faithful in the midst of it all You're a good God who leads in and guides in the past a righteousness for your namesake So we thank you for this last year and God right now we look ahead with faith and expectation and what you're gonna do in this upcoming year God we dedicate this new year to the Lord we dedicate this fast to the Lord Father We pray that you would give us all ears to hear what the spirit of the Lord is saying that you would lead and guide your people and God right now I pray that you would give us faith boldness and courage to go where you tell us to go to do what you Tell us to do and God we trust that you will be with us and you'll never leave us and never forsake us We thank you for this new year and we dedicate it to the Lord in Jesus name and everybody said amen amen amen All right, there really is Something about the idea of new that excites us isn't there like everybody say new See you already smiling you already smile we we love new beginnings. We love fresh starts So we set New Year's resolution So I just want to acknowledge this some of y'all have already set the New Year's resolution that you are gonna step out of some of those toxic relationships Come on somebody show me your friends, and I'll show you your future, right? Some of you have set the resolution that you finally gonna say Sayonara to that 10 pounds Adios muchach at would let right that thing's been following you around since college, right? It's time to say goodbye Some of y'all is saying I'm this is the year. I kicked that addiction Maybe most importantly some of you you're here because you said this is the year that I take my life with God seriously And if that's you welcome like wherever we're out on the journey welcome, and I love that we're on this journey today But I have news for you okay is which kind of brings us to what we're talking about today is there's a deeper reason Behind our longing for fresh starts and new beginnings and setting our resolutions and here's that the deeper meaning is It's because you feel the tension between who you are and who you are meant to be Every single one of us feels the tension between who we are and who we were meant to be We grown for the old us to be renewed and to be Perfected and in fact, I'd say it like this like our resolutions are actually confessions that we're needing perfection I'll say it again our resolutions are actually confessions that we're longing for perfection and to complicate it We live in a world that says don't worry honey boob - But we know that's not true.

Come on, I know how jacked up I am. I am weak and fragile and frail and broken, and I sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And then I look around and y'all do too. We all weak and we all frail, and we're wrestling with this tension of who we are and who we're meant to be. So we start our fresh starts and we have our new beginnings and we set our resolution. So here's the big idea, guys, what we're truly longing for in the midst of our fresh arts and new beginnings and resolutions, what we're truly longing for is actually the day that we will no longer have to set fresh starts and new beginnings and resolutions. What we're actually truly longing for, what every single one of us is truly groaning for is heaven, and so today we're kicking off four weeks of talking about heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven. And last year, if you were with us, we spent the last five months of the year taking a journey through the book of Revelation. And we talked about everything, all of it, right? We went through the seven churches, we saw God on the throne, we saw the plagues, the in-time judgments, the Antichrist, the mark of the beast, the false prophet, Jesus coming back, the tribulation, the in-times judgment, the great white throne judgment, all that.

And then if you were with us, they're at the very end of Revelation 20. We click the pause button and we said, "Hey, in the new year, we're gonna revisit the last two chapters of Revelation, which are the last two chapters of the Bible?" And here we are, okay? So what are the final two chapters of the Bible? Heaven, heaven. Guys, if you wanna know how the story ends, read the end of the story. There's a good principle. In fact, some of you, if you wanna know how any good story, any good book goes, read the first page and the last page. So some of you are in your one-year Bible reading plan and you're about to give up. You're like four days in or whatever it is, right? You're like, all right, I don't know if I can do this. I feel Leviticus is right around the corner. I like it. Okay, if you want inspiration to keep going, read the last page. If you know how the story ends, it'll give you courage and fuel to keep going today. 'Cause we're talking about heaven. All right, but here's a problem, okay? Let's just acknowledge it off the jump, okay? When I say heaven, everybody's minds go someplace different.

Here's our problem is you, okay, heaven. Okay, what's the picture in your mind? You think the person sitting next to you has the same picture that you do? They don't, they don't. Because we got so many voices saying what heaven's actually like. And so here's a few of them. So like pop culture, what's pop culture? Here's what it says, heaven is like, heaven is one terrible, long boring church service. Like what's the worst church service you've ever been to in your life? That's heaven forever. You're gonna be 10 minutes in and be like, bro forever. Like, and to make it worse, you're a fat baby angel sitting on a cloud playing a heart. And I don't know about you. I don't want to wear a diaper forever. That does not sound like heaven to me. Atheist, I used to work with an atheist, not here. (audience laughing) You know, an atheist mentality is simply this. He would say like, hey, there's no purpose to this. Bang, here we are. It's evolution. Like there's no greater meaning. So when, here's what he said. When I die, quote unquote, I will turn into worm food. Okay, that's the idea.

There is no afterlife. Like, this is it. When I close my eyes, everything's natural. We're done. Muslims, many Muslims would say that when a man dies, he gets 72 virgins, which by the way, is not heaven for those virgins. All right, Mormons, many Mormons would say that a man will become a god and get his own planet. And guess what? The ladies, your job is to be eternally pregnant and to populate that planet for them. Congratulations, ladies. Forever. Hindus have this belief that we'll live in cycles of death and rebirth, cycles of death and rebirth, death and rebirth, death and rebirth, death and rebirth. Slowly, slowly, slowly. Moving our way until we finally have the great final union with the divine. Buddhists believe that we'll just melt into the eternal mystic of the cosmos. But here's the big question. What does the Bible have to say about heaven? Not what does Joe Rogan say? Or the ladies on the view? Or that dude who died in Idaho and wrote a book about going to heaven. You know what I'm saying? Like, what is God through the scriptures

have to say about heaven? Okay, and let me just go ahead and disappoint you. It doesn't say a ton. But it says just enough to start to get us hungry. Okay, here's good news for us, okay? You're gonna have a lot to explore and a lot to learn when you finally get there. You're not gonna have it all figured out here. Here's how I always think about it, okay? Is the Bible does give us a few movie trailers, all right? So what's the purpose of a movie trailer? A movie trailer is the... So why does the Bible give us these movie trailers of heaven to get you hungry for heaven? In fact, let me just go ahead and tell you, my goal for these four weeks is to get you hungry for heaven. Because I think if you can get hungry for heaven, it'll start to change the way you live today. All right, A.W. Tozer, one of my heroes from the last generation, he said this. He said, what comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us. If I say the word God, what comes into your mind? Okay, the truth will set you free. So if you actually have a right view of God, everything else about your life will start to come into focus. Let me change a few words here. What comes to mind when we think about heaven is one of the most important things about us.

Because if we actually get heavenly-minded, if we actually get a correct view of heaven, think about this guys. It starts to change how you parent, how you work, how you spend your money, where you build your home, how you live your life. If you actually get this correct view of heaven, out there, everything about your life will be affected. If we can begin to set our mind on things above. All right, but I have one more confession for you before we jump into this. First Corinthians two, nine, Paul says this. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. So in other words, listen, the best I can do for you today is to try and finger paint like a little kid, a picture of heaven. All right, the best I can do for you today is like a little pre-k, like bringing home like their paper that they call it a haircut. I got this for you. All right, that's this whole sermon. He's a pre-k like scribbling out with a crayon, right? That's because no eye has fully seen this thing, and no ear has fully heard, and no mind can fully grasp. You're about to read some of this in just a second that John, a fisherman, is trying to put in human words what he's seeing that God has created is too big, it's too big.

And so there's plenty of room for I would just call biblical imagination as we read these things, okay? So what is heaven like? They're at the end of Revelation 20, if you recall. God throws death, hell, the grave, and rebellion into what's called the lake of fire. In essence, he closes the lid, puts the final period on that chapter of the universe. And then we turn the page in Revelation 21. John says this, here's an excerpt. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Everybody say a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Do you find John like, he's just trying to find ways to say what he's seeing, right? And I heard a loud voice from the throne and it was saying, look, God's dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away. And he who is seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new." And then an angel comes and takes John to a high mountain

and he shows him what this new city, the new Jerusalem, actually looks like on the new heavens and the new earth. And here's what he says. It's shown with the glory of God and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel. Like a Jasper, clear as crystal. You see, he's trying to find words. He actually says later that like the streets are gold. It had a great high wall around the city with 12 gates and with 12 angels at the gates. And actually in there he says that the gates were like pearls. And so what does pop culture done with that? It's put Peter standing at this bedazzled gate taking attendance, which seems terrible. By the way, that's not in the Bible. Peter's not like the gatekeeper. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, oh, you know, is your name in here? You're like, if this like, you know, party city gate is created. No, John is trying to say like the gates look like these like 100,000 pound pearls. And nobody knows what he's like here. The gate is not a pearl. He's just trying to find human language to describe what you can't describe. It's too big for imagination. He says, I saw these gates in the city and the walls and there's these angels. And he says, I did not see a temple in the city.

This is a big deal because in the Jewish imagination all of life revolved around the temple. Why is there no temple? Because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple. God is the temple. You don't need a temple because God Himself is there. The city doesn't need the sun or the moon to shine on it. For the glory of God gives it light and the lamb is its lamp and the nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their splinter is every Christ loving King? King David, come on, every godly president throughout history, the leaders of around the world all bring quote unquote, John says they're splinter. Imagine every important godly person who has ever lived all coming together in one place. That's what's happening right here. On no day will the gates ever be shut? For there will be no night there. And the glory and honor of the nations, that word nations is ethnos. So the ethnicities of the world, the cultures of the world, they're all bringing their glory. Can you imagine the parade where all the tribes of this area and this culture over here and that culture, all of them are streaming in together, bringing the glory and the honor of the nations into the new city. Nothing impure will ever enter into it.

Nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Amen. Now, some of y'all are already like, lesson the Bible? Yes, yes. And in fact, good news, there's still a whole other chapter that we'll get to next week. But on the day, get this, that death finally dies. All of our hopes, all of our dreams, all of our longings will finally be fulfilled because on that day, God will make all things new. On that day, here's the first thought. On that day, we'll get a new home. Everybody say new home. New home. Guys, let's acknowledge this. Every single one of us is homesick for heaven. Whether we realize it or not, every single one of us is homesick for what that first man and first woman actually had. What Adam and Eve had was a perfect world with a perfect God who walked with him in the garden. We all want that. And on that day, God will answer that homesickness with a new heaven and a new earth. Let's read it again.

21-1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth key here. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And there was no longer any see. Here's what John is saying. For our new home, the new heaven and the new earth to come, the first heaven and the first earth must pass away. What does that mean? Okay, go there with me. So when Jesus was hanging on the cross, right, dying for the sins of the world, he looks at the thief next to him, who had just put his faith in Jesus. And he says, "Hey, friend, don't worry "because today you will be with me in paradise." Okay, you could call paradise present heaven. Okay, there's a first heaven, a present heaven. That's where Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and King David and big mama and Uncle Bob, come on somebody, the ones who had faith in Christ before us. That's where they are right now. Why? Because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So if you went to that person's funeral, what you actually saw was their body beginning to go into the ground. And if you actually had a viewing, when you looked at their body, you said, "That's them, but not really."

Come on, you ever been? Have you ever had a view? You're like, "That's not them, but it's not them." Like, there's an absence from that body because that's them, but something's missing. Yeah, to be at the spirit is absent from the body. So there's importance to the body, but there's more importance to the spirit. And so what happens is when we breathe our final breath here, we actually open up our eyes forever there. There's an absence from the body. So our spirit upon death immediately goes to be with Jesus and a spiritual paradise or first heaven. And so what John is saying, there must come a day for that first heaven to shudder at stores and to empty out. What's that gonna look like? We start to lay it out here. So the first heaven has to pass away and so does the first earth. What's this? This, this has something's gotta happen to this to have a new heaven and a new earth. So let me say it like this guys. We have never seen the earth as God made it. There's only two people who ever saw the earth as God made it, Adam and Eve. And in Genesis three, when sin enters into the world, sin breaks everything. Death came through sin, not just a humanity.

Death came to this world. This world had never known death before sin entered into this world. And so since Genesis three, the wheels have been falling off at the cosmos. And we see it everywhere. Listen, sin, death, war, famine, plague, tornadoes, hurricanes. They're not God's original intent. They are result of our rebellion. And we see it. We see the brokenness in the world. We see the pollution. We see the extinction of species. We breathe polluted air. We see the cancers that are permeating society. Why? Because the earth is wearing out. So God will make it new. God will make it new, guys. And personally, there's different beliefs on this. And that's fine. We'll both be in heaven if you have a different view on this. I don't believe that God will just throw this world away. I don't, I don't. Yet you ever seen a wildfire sweep through an area? And then all of a sudden this new growth starts coming out of it. I believe that God will burn the corruption, the rebellion, the sin off of this world and make it new. Think about it like this. When you got born again, if you're born again,

when you got born again, you were the same person, you were just new. I was me still, but I was a different me. I think God will do the same thing to this world. He's gonna take this world and make it new. Why? One big reason, okay? I don't think that God will let the devil win. I don't think God's gonna look at this world and be like, all right, devil, you did too much to it. I can't fix it. I can't heal it. 'Cause guess what? He didn't do that with you. Jesus didn't look at you and be like, nah, nah, you screwed up your life too much. I can't fix that. It's broken forever. I just gotta throw it away. No, and he says, I can fix and I can redeem and I can rebirth even you. That's the power of God. If he can do it for you, I believe he can do it for this world. (audience applauds) God will renew or rebirth this world. So think about it like this. Think of it, just use your divine biblical imagination, okay? If the earth, broken by the curse, polluted by sin, still has moments of such beauty. How magnificent will the new earth be?

I was on a Zoom meeting with the campus pastors this week and talking about just literally this thought. And then I look out my window, right? We're in the season where all the leaves have fallen off the trees. There's a feeling of death when you look outside at the trees and everything, right? And on the middle of all these barren trees, this red cardinal just come in lands right there. And I'm like, this life in the midst of death. But even this beautiful bright red bursting cardinal one day in this world will die. But imagine the world where nothing will ever die, where everything is made new. Okay, go there, just with me real quick. Imagine the Grand Canyon, but renewed. Come on, imagine Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Renewed. Imagine New Zealand made better. Okay, one more. I don't know if you're ready for this one. Imagine Borobora made perfect. Oh, Jesus. Come on, y'all, it's January in Atlanta. We got to get out of this place, you know, right? There ain't nothing good in Atlanta right now. Oh God. Imagine the world without disaster or plague or pollution or volcano or hurricane or if anything to ever ruin

or destroy them or imagine that. Okay, now imagine it a billion times better than what you just imagined it. And now imagine that your imagination, a billion times better is still a billion times short. Because no, I can see it, no, I can hear it, no, mine can conceive it. It's too big. God will birth the new earth and then bring those from the first heaven to this new earth and then close the doors of the first heaven, do away with it and do something special in this new heaven and newer. Think about it like this, I'm about to blow your mind because I'm about to blow my mind, all right? Heaven is God's home. Earth is our home. But here's what Ephesians 110 actually says. Oh God, it's too big. He says, on that day, God's mysterious divine plan will finally come into fruition. What is God's mysterious divine plan? Is to forever unite heaven and earth in Jesus. Jesus Christ, fully God, fully man. 100% God, 100% man. If you're looking for your big theological word, it's hypostatic union. 100% God, 100% man. In Christ, God is living in heaven.

Humanity is living on earth, but in Christ, the one who is God and is man. God incarnate, God in man. God once and for all unites, God and humanity in Jesus' body on the cross, bringing heaven and earth together forever. No longer on that day will it be God up there in us down here. God will be here, and we will be with God. So in that day, we will step out of a spiritual heaven onto a physical heaven on earth. Start to wrap your mind around. This is not this disembodied fat angel baby. We're talking about a spiritual. on earth, physical heaven on earth. That is what will happen in that day. And here's the idea guys. It is a return to Eden, but better. But better, because here's the idea. When you actually follow the story arc of the Bible, it's showing that there's an arc from a garden moving to a new city. And here it is in verse two. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. Here's the idea guys. I love that we don't go back to a garden. I love that we look ahead to a city. There is a, begin to get this under,

'cause when I say heaven, I need you guys to start forming this picture. A new heaven and a new earth. And on that new heaven on earth is a new city. It's a city. We live in the city because the city's better. You understand that? You're like, no, I live in the suburbs. Well, you live in the suburbs 'cause it's close to the city. All right? But you don't want to live in the city. Why? Because listen, the city's better in every way. Like culture, environment, like the museums. Come on, the fine, the sports. Everything's in the city. Just one thing is broken about the city. The city's better in every single way, except for sin. 'Cause ain't nobody walking around Atlanta at 2 a.m. You dummy, you know what he'd be doing that? Like, don't ever. You're like, oh, I'm from a city where you can walk around tonight. Don't do that in Atlanta, right? Don't do that in Atlanta. Everything's better in the city, except for one thing, sin. So here's how I've heard heaven explained. Imagine New York City without sin. In fact, Revelation 21, it gives us some dimensions.

It actually says the new city will be 1,400 miles by 1,400 miles by 1,400 miles. It's a cube, that's symbolic, but. So 1,400 miles by 1,400 miles. Listen, it's actually 5,500 times bigger than New York City without sin. So 1,400 miles, if you're curious, is the distance from Atlanta to Denver squared. That's God's new city. Except it's not squared, it's cubed, which is 2.7 billion cubic miles. In other words, you can fit a lot of people in heaven. And here's what it says. This new city comes down to the new heaven on earth. This new city comes down. I want you to see this, this is so important, guys. What this means is heaven does not start here. There's no election. And then finally we elect that person who's gonna finally make this place heaven. They try every four years, come on, somebody. Making all the promises. Nobody, no man, no woman, no president, no emperor, no dictator, no anti-Christ. Nobody will ever be able to make this place heaven. There's no philosophy that finally arises. Come on, there's no peace, love, unity, movement. There's no war to end all the wars. And all of a sudden we're just singing Beatles songs like imagine, you know what I'm saying?

That will never happen. Here's the idea. It is our job to see his kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. We're working towards that. But here's the reality, the rest of the world wants the kingdom without the king. You can't have the kingdom without the king. You want peace, love, joy, unity? Without the king, you'll never get it. You want heaven without God? You'll never get it. In fact, let me just tell you, if you get to heaven and God's not there, you ain't in heaven, warning. I just see demons around here, right? Because you're in hell, you're in hell. Because heaven is where the presence of God is. It's where his kingdom is coming. It's where his will is being done. We don't build heaven here. In essence, God builds heaven there and brings it here. Randy Alcorn has a great book on heaven. Here's what he says. Wherever God dwells with his people and sits on his throne is called heaven. That's why Jesus at the Last Supper Table. He's saying, guys, I'm going to prepare a place for you. I'm going to prepare a home for you. And they start asking like, well, we don't know the way.

And Jesus is like, hey, don't worry about it. I'm the way. I'm the truth. I'm the life. Follow me and I'll get you there. Good news, fam. You don't have to figure out how to get to heaven. You don't need GPS. You don't need directions. Just follow Jesus. If you follow Jesus, he is the way, the truth, and the life, wherever he is, is where heaven is. I promise you that. And in the middle of the new heavens and the new earth, there's a new city. And in the middle of the new city is God himself. He dwells with his people. Once again, no longer is he up there and we are down here. And so listen, guys, how the story ends, or how we should probably say, how the story really begins, is the people of God, which is heaven, because God is there, and we live together in the new city, which is our new home." And here's my promise to you. It is the divine extreme home makeover. It will be better than what you got right now. I know you're like, "Whoa, we have an America." Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know all that, okay. It will be, guys, no, I can see it.

No, mine can conceive it. What God has in store for His people. On that day, God has a new home for His people. That you'll never get evicted out of, and you won't have to pay bills on it, 'cause Jesus already paid the tab. So on that day, we'll get a new home. Second thing, on that day, we'll get a new body. Everybody say new body. Okay, on the physical new earth, we will get a physical new body. So one of the most wonderful promises in the entire Bible, which is actually exclusive to Christianity, is that on a day, we will get resurrected body. So again, here's the idea to be absent for the bodies, to be present with the Lord. The moment we breathe our final breath here, we go to be with Jesus in the first heaven spiritually, but we are there awaiting Jesus' return in Revelation 19. We're awaiting His return for resurrection. We're awaiting that, here's what it looks like. There's many scriptures in the Bible that talk about the resurrection of the body, but here's one, Philippians three. We are citizens of heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ lives, and we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. And on that day, He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies. Everybody say glorious bodies. Come on, like His own, using the same power

with which He will bring everything under His control. And I know some of you are like, well, hang on, I just need to clarify this. I'm getting a different body than this one, right? 'Cause I'm, you're like, that would not be heaven. If I got this same kid, come on, come on, come on. You're like, get to heaven. And you're like, here's your new body forever. And you're like, I still gotta lose 40. (congregation laughs) I still got a bald spot. I still got this mole, like, come on, Jesus, you could do better than that, right? No, you'll get a glorious body, glorious body. So what is it gonna look like? Ah, man, I know this much. But here's what I do know. Scripture kind of alludes to this. It says, you know what, like when Jesus resurrected, it's like people could recognize Him? You remember that 'cause they're like, it's Jesus. But then other people are like, who's that guy? Like, he kind of looks the same, kind of looks different. Remember, like, he could eat and then walk through walls. I don't know the metaphysics of that. How do you eat something solid then walk through something solid? I don't know, I don't know. But what the Paul actually says is, on that day, he's the firstborn from among the grave.

So on that day, we will be like him. Don't worry about it. Well, what about my dad who got cremated? What about, what about like, I'm missing an arm? What about the martyr? Listen, at some point, all of our bodies, you stay in the grave long enough, you're gonna turn into dust. God can put it all back together again. It's impossible with man, it's possible with God. So on that day, listen to me, guys, good news. You will receive a body that can't sin and does not want to sin. Come on, come on. (congregation applauding) Come on, it's like, I don't know about that. You receive a body that can never age and never die. That means no more New Year's resolutions. Come on, that means no more diets. (congregation laughing) Come on, that means, come on, ladies, you won't need fillers, no Botox, no lace, no lace fronts, no hair color, no back pain, no diabetes, come on, no cancer, no diseases, no migraines, no disorders. (congregation applauding) This is not a crutch. This isn't just like something Christians made up. No, this is ultimate reality. Here's my promise to you,

there will be no complaints in heaven. It will be the ultimate, like, okay, glow up, right? You know, like, (congregation laughing) I think C.S. Lewis says it the best. This is so beautiful. He says we have become bent sinful versions of what God intended. Your deceitfulness, laziness, lust, deafness, disability, and disease are not the real you. They're the temporary perversions that will be eliminated. They're the cancer that the great physician will surgically remove. His redemptive work is such that never again will they return, and when you're on the new earth, for the first time you'll be the person that God created you to be. (congregation applauding) And whenever I'm around, someone who has an extreme disability, maybe mentally, maybe physically, my mind goes to this reality, my hope goes to this reality. There's a woman named Joni Erikson Tada. Some of you all are familiar with her. When she was 17, I mean, she lived many years after this, but when she was 17, she was an athlete. She dove into a bay, misjudged the depth, and broke her spine. And she became paralyzed from the shoulders down.

And she said this. I still can hardly believe it. I, with shriveled bent fingers, atrophied muscles, gnarled knees, and no feeling from the shoulders down, will one day have a new body, light, bright, and clothed in righteousness, powerful and dazzling. Can you imagine the hope this gives someone's spinal cord injured like me, or someone who is cerebral palsy or brain injured, or who has multiple sclerosis? Imagine the hope this gives someone who is manic-depressive. No other religion, no other philosophy, promises new bodies, new hearts, and new minds. Only in the gospel of Christ who hurting people finds such incredible hope. Friend of ours was here last night who five years ago, her daughter, they were on vacation and they went outside in the backyard and found the daughter face down in the pool. And they do not know how long she was there. CPR, minutes, minutes, minutes, minutes, nothing. Minutes, minutes, minutes, minutes, more minutes, more minutes that finally get there in the hospital for months. They say she'll never-- she's on a machine. She'll never swallow. She'll never breathe. She'll never walk. Yet last night, she's breathing and walking and talking in the lobby, dancing around. But there's still some things.

You know, there's still a process being played out. And she said, "When I saw brain injured, that one day God will fix even that. God will fix broken hearts and broken minds and broken spines." There's a reason why at funerals, we say, ensure in certain hope of the resurrection. We commit this body to the ground. Guys, this is what we do. This is who we are. This is the hope we hold onto because if Christ is not resurrected, Paul says our hope and faith is in vain. If you want to know what Christianity is really all about, it's that Jesus rose from the dead. If that did not happen, we're all idiots. I fully confess that. But if Jesus rose from the grave, nothing can ever be the same again. And because he rose, one day you will rise too. You will not-- listen, here's what I'm saying. You will not be a disembodied spirit floating around. You will be a redeemed spirit with a redeemed body on a redeemed earth with God himself forevermore. In a new home, with a new body-- last thing is this-- and then that day, you'll get a new life. Everybody say a new life. God loves new beginnings. So on that day, he will make all things new. Revelation 21, verse 4, says he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying,

no more pain. Why? Because the old order of things has passed away. And he who is seated on the throne said, I'm making everything new. As I love this, listen, put your hope in this place. On that day, God like any good parent will wipe away every tear from his kid's eyes. Why? Because if I can say it like this, I want you to remember it like this. Heaven is the place of no mores. That's what he just says. What happens in this new life? There will be no more death. Guys, we know this, that because of Jesus, death has lost its sting. But in this world, in the first earth, death is still an enemy, still is an enemy of us. But I have good news because on that day, there will be no more funerals, which means there will be no more funeral homes. There will be no more graves, no more caskets, no more cemeteries, no more goodbyes. You'll never again have to say goodbye to someone you love, no more death, no more mourning, and we're crying. Some of us have sorrow that we just can't kick. I've stood at the hospital bed with some of you while your child passes.

just won't leave you like maybe a husband or wife did something stupid and it shattered a family maybe you have a son or a daughter who has turned their back on Christ and every night all you know is tears guys good news the clock is ticking on your morning because on that day God will somehow put all those pieces together again and he will heal even the deepest places of your morning to those reeling of the loss of a child or a pain that just won't leave your body those days are numbered because there will be no more pain guys no more pain in your body no more pain in your mind no more chronic back pain some of you have insomnia because pain pain of memories pain of failures pain of fatigue why will we have no more because the old order of things has passed away behold all things to become new in other words how it used to work here is not how it will work there because there when God moves it here his kingdom will come and his will will be done here on earth as it is in heaven all these things that hurt all these things that are broken are outside of how the kingdom works it wasn't so from the beginning sin broke everything the curse broke everything but what happens on that day when the curse is removed there will be no more and family here's the idea that's just the no more what will our life actually look like that's just what our life won't look like here's the question what were our life actually look like here's some really good news on that day we will see all those who have died before us in Christ so when you said goodbye here as that grave went into as the body went into the grave on that day listen listen listen listen listen you will physically embrace the person you said goodbye to when they died in Christ on a physical new earth your child your mom because whoever was you actually get to physically embrace that there we know more goodbyes summer and I will see see Joseph who's a miscarriage my mom had a stillborn son before me Joseph or Joshua full term guys God's will able God puts it back together again think about this John says in that day the new heavens in the new earth there will be no more see why is see why is that a thing well because sees are what separate us think about where's John writing the book of Revelation from

Patmos an island he's been thrown away he's been exiled what do sees do sees separate us and so John is longing for the day when no one nothing will separate him from the church and the people that he loves and he says on that day the seas will go away in other words you won't have to say goodbye ever again why don't you go home to Nigeria why don't why don't you just make a trip over to Europe well I can't there's too much on that day it all comes together in this new life we'll see the people that we said goodbye to in Christ also in this in this new life we will eat the best food and not gain an ounce I don't know I don't think we will I don't know no Isaiah prophesies he says that God will prepare a feast of rich foods Jesus actually says that there will be a great wedding supper of the lamb what do you do what do you what do you what are the best moments when you sit down with friends and family and you share a meal you won't lose that in heaven in the new life we will explore the new earth why because it actually says that the gate listen this the heaven is not just this little city it's this giant city on a giant earth it actually says that the gates will never close so you actually get to go and explore I don't know what it's gonna look like but some of you guys your jobs can be a tour agent in heaven I mean a tour guide you may like hey let's go on a hike you know like go out here in the new life we're gonna have community you're gonna get to sit down with King David and be like bro best you but come on man you're sitting down with Eve and be like come on girl like what but tell me about the garden what was the garden like you're gonna sit down with Moses and be like dude like you left to this dad what was it like when the Red Sea parted come on in the new life you're gonna worship why are you gonna worship because God's gonna be there it's listen every church service including this one it's gonna be so bad compared to that day I promise you that because God's gonna be there and the new life you're still gonna pray why you're just gonna pray and Jesus is gonna be there and you won't have to wonder I don't know did God say that or was it the pizza no you'll actually know cuz he's like right there he's like talking

It says that in Revelation, you will rest from your toiling and striving. Here's another thing, hang with me just for a second. In the new life, I think we will work. We're going to work, but it's not going to be like your nine to five. Why? Because the curse is what made work work. You understand Adam and Eve were working before sin, but it was purposeful. It was redemption. It was significant. Listen, you understand you and I were made to work. We were made to achieve things. I've been unemployed before. It's not very fun. Because you're like, I need to do something. I'm not talking about making widgets in heaven. I'm talking about, have you ever had the day where you did something? And you're like, that's the most significant purpose-filled, satisfying thing I've ever done. Okay, do that forever. That's what heaven will be like in the new life. And what I'm trying to say is this, guys, heaven will not be boring. The devil, and I'm just going to say it, the devil has sewed this lie into the world. That this earth is where all the fun stuff happens, and heaven is where all the lame stuff happens. Hell is where the party is, heaven it will. If you don't want to burn, go to heaven. And so when we're presented with these two options, here's our problem. I mean, here's what happens. We're like, we just should live it up here on earth because when we get to heaven, it's just this church service. Like it's going to be terrible, but I don't want to burn. And so we spend our lives on the wrong thing because we have a wrong view of heaven. And so we're presented with these two options.

Do you want to burn forever, or do you want to be a fat baby angel? Fat baby angel, right? But the heaven that we've been sold, it does not hold a candle to the real thing. In fact, let me just put it up here just for you real quick, real quick, okay. What we assume about heaven, this is all the stuff we talked about. We assume it's static. Well, the Bible actually says it's dynamic. In other words, you'll learn, you'll grow. You're not just sitting on the static little cloud. What we assume about heaven is the absence of the terrible. What the Bible actually says is the presence of the wonderful. In other words, heaven isn't just the place where bad things don't happen. Heaven is the place where good things do happen. What we assume about heaven, it's a non-earth. What the Bible says, it's a new earth. What we assume is it's unfamiliar. What the Bible actually says, it's a new home that will actually kind of be familiar because it's on this earth but made new. What we assume about heaven is we'll be disembodied. What's actually true is we will receive a new resurrected body. What we assume is there's nothing to do. We're just floating on the clouds. What the Bible says, it's a new life, a god to worship, an earth to explore, work to accomplish, and friends to enjoy. What we assume is it's boring, it'll actually be fascinating. What we assume is tall, but I promise you, it'll be the best thing ever. Best thing ever. And here's the question that Jesus answers off the top. Who gets to inherit all these things? He says the one who overcomes gets to inherit all these things.

And we don't have to wonder what does that mean? What's an overcomer? John actually answers that in his writing. He says an overcomer is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. If you believe meaning, heart, mind, body, life that Jesus is the Son of God, you will inherit all these things. Why? Here's how it works. If somebody outside your family came to you and said, can I have your inheritance that you'd be like, who are you? But when they're your kid, absolutely, that's how this works. You get what the father has, my kids get what I have, right? I'm going to pass it down to them. And so when we come to faith in Christ, we're no longer outside the family. He actually brings us in as sons and daughters of God. Now, heaven is our inheritance. That's how this works. And you can be an overcomer by putting your faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. And here's the idea. Guys, that new home and that new body is still out there, like in the future. But the new life, that can start today. You don't have to wait until that day to have new life. You can actually have new life today. You don't have to wait until that day to bow. You can actually bow today. You can enter into life and life more abundantly today. And here's what it looks like. It's when I repent, which means said 180 term from the way I'm going, and actually put my faith in Christ. That he's the king.

He's my Savior. He's the one who makes all this possible. I don't have it figured out, but he's the way. He's the truth. He's the life. And if I follow him, he'll get me where I need to go. Here's the idea, guys. In Jesus, a new home, a new body, a new life are possible. They're open wide to us. And so today, in this new year, maybe it's the day to come home. Let's bow our heads. Let's talk to them. Father, I thank you that you so loved the world that you gave your only son. Whoever believes in him will never perish, but actually have everlasting life. I thank you, Father, that you are the God and the author of this entire story, including the beginning, the middle, and the end. And I thank you for bringing friends here today to hear You know, there's only one command. We've been looking at this as we go through revelation. There's only one command in what we just read. Here's the command. God says, look, look, new heavens, new earth, new city. What happens in our soul? That's a question. What's happening in your soul when you look? I think there's an invitation to some of us to say, hey, you don't have to have despair when you think about the future. You don't have to have question marks when you look about the future.

'Cause you can actually come into the family of God through faith in Jesus today. And so here's the thought force, guys. If today's the day that you're calling Jesus Christ your king for the rest of your life, or maybe there's others of us who are what's called rededicating, like coming home. It's a new year. Maybe you're rededicating your life to Jesus. Would you do me a favor and just lift up your hand? I wanna pray with you. Yeah, that's a lot of you. I see your hands. Go ahead, go ahead. It's awesome. I see your hands. That's awesome. I think sometimes it's important for us to do that. I see you out there. We put our hands down. Let's pray together and family around you is gonna pray with you. Let's pray like this, say Jesus. Today's the day. I'm coming home. I repent of my sin. I turn from my rebellion. Teach me your ways. And I will follow you forevermore. Today, I put my faith in Jesus Christ

as the Son of God who died on the cross to forgive my sins and make me new. And he rose again. Jesus is alive and he's my king. He's my savior forevermore. Forgive me and I'll be forgiven. Love me and I will be loved. Give me your Holy Spirit and I will follow you the rest of my life in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Hey guys, let's do this real quick. Let's stand up to our feet. Okay, if you're able, let's stand up to our feet. We're gonna take just a minute right here, okay? Celebrate with you guys what God's doing in your life. I'm gonna do something we don't always have a minute to do. We're gonna make a minute to do it here on this first Sunday of the year. Some of us need to say, hey, I was that prodigal and I'm coming home. Prodigal took a step and then God met him on that journey. Others of us need to say, this is the year I'm doing business with God. So here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna kind of open up this space down here. The band's gonna play for like three or four minutes, okay? And I'm gonna invite you. Some of you actually need to get out of your seat and say, I'm actually gonna have a physical move

to show God I'm serious about this. I'm not gonna enter into this new year the same way I left last year. I've been doing my own thing, but I'm coming home. I'm taking this seriously. And so I'm gonna invite you guys as the band starts playing here, step out. I'll be here, terminal be down here. Like we're gonna be down here just worshiping God together. St. God, I give you my heart. I give you everything I need to give you. Others of us, I just wanna invite you in the midst of this, okay? We just talked about a new home. Allow God to challenge you with that. Here's the question. If that's actually where my new home is, why am I trying to build my home here? God, do I need to change something about my life in light of the fact that that's actually my new home? We say, what are you gonna get a new body? Here's an idea, guys. If we're actually getting a resurrected body, do we need to start treating this body a little bit differently? If I'm getting a new life where God's gonna wipe away every tear, could I actually have faith that if he's gonna wipe every tear away on that day, could he start wiping my tears away two days?

Maybe some of us needs to start letting God into our emotions just in this next few minutes, okay? So let's do this. Move and take the posture that's appropriate for what God's doing in your life and let's worship together just for a minute or two. Thanks for being a part of Victory Church on the Pando app. We hope this content was a blessing to you, but we want you to know that you're not done yet because we want to hear from you. So send us a letter and tell us things like what God is doing in your life, how we can pray for you, or even content that you would like to see us create in the future. We just want you to know that we see you, you're important to us, and we'd love to continue to create some things in the future that will bless you. So send us a letter and we hope to hear from you soon.