 We're going to read 1st verses 9-11 and then we'll begin. For those of you who may be new to this fellowship or are here just as a visitor today, let me share with you. We've been going through the book of Revelation. Revelation is a book that can be taught in a variety of ways. One of them is when you look for every single thing that you can find to kind of point out what's going on today around the world, that can be exciting. Sometimes it's incorrect, but it can be exciting. What I've chosen to do is to actually teach the book, which means that you're going to receive information that you might not always receive in a study such as this. So there are those who think, man, that's a lot of information. I don't know what to do with it. Just catalog it because that is the kind of thing that helps you to understand the book and in the future perhaps you'll be able to do so with a little more understanding. Now the second thing is my spiritual gift is teaching exhortation. So those are my gifts that I have as I approach the pulpit. Exhortation is my main gift. Teaching is a gift that the Lord has gifted me with and that's why I like to give details. You will see that there are going to be places I stop and just start talking. That is when the exhortive gift comes in. You'll see that. That's something you know in advance because you'll wonder what happened to him. Well the light switch went off and exhortation comes out. You're going to see that. So I like to give information because I think information is very important, but at certain points you're going to see that. I'm going to move into saying things that I think are very practical and applicable and you'll see that as we go through our study. Just letting you know. Lots of details and some exhortation. So here we are. Revelation 21, we'll begin at verse 9, we'll read to verse 11, we'll get into our study. What we're looking at is heaven's capital, heaven's capital. In verse 9, Revelation 21, reading to verse 11, John writes, then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me saying, come, I will show you the bride, the lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Now as we've seen, the holy city called New Jerusalem descends from heaven. The New Jerusalem is the place that Jesus said that he had gone to prepare a place for his followers. I mentioned to you in John chapter 14, verses 2 and 3, that Jesus said, in my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, receive you unto myself that where I am there, you may be also. So New Jerusalem is the father's house that Jesus went to prepare for us. It is a place that God says he will dwell with his children. We saw in Revelation 21, verse 3, how John said, I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be there with them and be their God. New Jerusalem is what we call heaven, the place that God dwells with his holy angels. It's a place that believers are going to go when we die. It is this place that will descend after the 1,000 year reign of Christ called the Millennium. It will be the capital city of the new heaven and the new earth. Now with the descent of New Jerusalem, we're given a preview of what is called the eternal state. John had been given a vision of the final end of all who have died in their sins and he told us that these who die in their sins will enter into a place of judgment. Place of judgment is called the lake of fire. It's also referred to in verse 8 as the second death, the second death. You see when the Bible speaks of the first death, it speaks of physical death. The second death speaks of their condition throughout all of eternity. The first death that claims every person is actually temporary because after they die all people will partake in resurrection either what is called the first or the second resurrection. In Revelation 20 verse 6, we read, blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. Well the second resurrection is of those who are unsaved and in the second resurrection they are judged by God. And the final judgment, we've already seen this in just recapping, the final judgment and punishment is the lake of fire and that is what is called second death. In Revelation 20 verses 14 and 15, it says, then death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them and they were judged each one according to his works. Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This he said is the second death. While God has prepared a city for those who enter eternity as believers and the city will be the place where believers reside in eternal joy and peace. New Jerusalem is the link between the new heaven and the new earth. It's the city that Abraham looked for when he was called to leave and to follow after God. The writer of Hebrews in chapter 11 verse 10 says, Abraham waited for the city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. And in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 22 through 24, the writer went on to say, but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born who are registered in heaven, to God, the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of able. You see what Abraham looked forward to is what is revealed and described by John. So today we're going to get a better look at heaven's capital, New Jerusalem. This in verse 9 how it begins, then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me saying, come I will show you the bride, the lamb's wife. The last time an angel was mentioned was in chapter 20 verse 1 a thousand years earlier. This was the angel that was used to bind Satan in the abyss for a thousand years. Well this is one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the plagues that we saw in chapter 15. The angel comes as a heavenly tour guide to show John heaven's capital. Now notice how New Jerusalem's referred to as the bride, the lamb's wife. It is the bride because it's where all believers are forever united to him. It's the lamb's wife because a marriage supper has already taken place. And it says in verse 10 how he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain showed me the great city of the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God. So this angel brings him to a high mountain, shows him what he calls holy Jerusalem. And in verse 11 it says having the glory of God, her light was like a most precious stone like a jasper stone clear as crystal. So John sees a beautiful city. It is so amazing and gorgeous if you will. It looks like he describes it as like a beautiful bride. It's the city that is described as having the glory of God. And radiating from the city will be the full manifestation of God's glory. And his glory will be so brilliant that there is no longer a need for the sun. You'll see that in verse 23 when it says the city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it, the lamb is its light. And so it's so brilliant it never will again need sunlight. This is something that was spoken of in an Old Testament book called Isaiah in chapter 60 verse 19 where it reads no longer will you have the sun for light by day nor for brightness will the moon give you light. But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light and your God for your glory. And so notice in verse 11 how he says her light was like a most precious stone like a jasper stone clear as crystal. What he's beginning to do here and we'll look at this briefly. But what he begins to do is give a description of its beauty. The city appears to John like a beautiful and a precious stone jasper jasper is a word that describes a diamond one that is crystal clear and flawless. So by this we see that heavens capital city is pictured as a huge precious stone. And as a precious stone it doesn't produce the light it only reflects it because as we see in verse 23 again Jesus is the light so it reflects the light. Stones don't generate their own light we know that those of you who have have diamonds in your ring you know perhaps some of you ladies have a diamond or two. When you go in to the gem to buy a gem I just was remembering something probably it's not part of this Bible study but I'll say it anyway I just remembered when I bought Marie our her engagement ring and her diamond I really thought that I was I was spending a ton of money and I went and I got her an engagement ring and the way I asked Marie to marry me was at a Bible study original Bible study that I had and we invited some of the people to come Marie had I met Marie at this Bible study and so I invited some of the people who could show up to come John and John's mom and dad didn't show up I still amatted them John by the way because I used to teach a Bible study at John's house when he was six or seven years old and so but I did that and in my family my dad has a ring it's a little ring cost 57 cents and that's what he had asked my mom to marry him with he used that ring as the engagement ring but I had bought Marie a diamond ring and so I remember reading Proverbs 31 and saying to her will you marry me I gotta stop for a second when went because she did my life's been miserable since and it was a beautiful memory but I had a ring I thought it was a great ring it was a quarter diamond one quarter carrot it cost me $200 and I that was expensive I thought a little bit different now isn't it and so that little teeny thing while the way that they make diamonds look nice is they put them on a black kind of backdrop right some ladies perhaps know this better than men on velvet there you go thank you tell me some more different grays okay let me see your ring I can't see it 250 see you're a big spender so you put it on backdrop and and you and that's because it doesn't generate its own light it reflects and so when he's speaking concerning this beauty you need to realize that the the stones don't generate their own light they reflect it and so this place that is described in this way is showing us how amazing and how beautiful it is because it's reflecting the light because the light is Jesus Christ what like we said a moment ago where it says in verse 23 the lamb is its light it's only reflecting and it's a reflecting the glory of the Lord now notice of verse 12 also she had a great and high wall with 12 gates it says to us and not only did it have the 12 gates and 12 angels at the gates and names written on them which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel so he begins to give us a description it's a great high wall now obviously we'll see again in a moment this represents exclusion and I'll share you a little bit about that in a second but this great high wall had 12 gates and 12 angels at the gates so the high wall 12 gates it reveals specific dimensions the walls indicate that entrance is reserved for certain individuals at the gates are 12 angels they would be like if I were to try and liken it to something like God's honor guard if you will but they also are representing service and they are they are actually ministering spirits according to Hebrews 1 14 where the writer said are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who inherit salvation well the 12 gates have the names of the 12 tribes of Israel written on them so this celebrates for all eternity God's covenant relationship with the nation now there are those today who do not value the nation of Israel all you need to do is watch the news and some of you watch it habitually others on occasion perhaps some never watch at all but all you have to do is watch the news and look at current events and you'll see that there are those who believe that the destruction of Israel is something that is valuable to them we've seen that throughout history I'm not going to go into history lesson about those things other than you're seeing it even today in current events when you have the rockets that are coming in and falling on various places and and all of that why because they believe that that the nation of Israel has no reason to exist and they're trying to wipe the nation out and so they have no love for they do not care for what Israel or what Israel has given to the world we can see that well Paul made it very clear in his writings that Israel has given much to the world that we should be thankful for you see in Romans 9 verses 4 and 5 he says the people of Israel theirs is the adoption to sonship there's the divine glory the covenants the receiving of the law the temple worship and the promises theirs are the patriarchs and from them is traced the human ancestry of Messiah who is God over all forever praised amen we have much to be grateful to Israel for because so much has been contributed including our Messiah now he speaks in verse 13 and he says three gates are on the east three gates on the north three gates on the south three gates on the west and so he basically reminds us of these gates and and when you see the gates the way they're situated that would remind you of how the 12 tribes camped around what is called the Tabernacle which was a portable tent that was used to house the Ark of the Covenant and all of that that traveled with Israel until they built a temple through Solomon and so that reminds us of how the 12 tribes camped around the Tabernacle in the wilderness and when you look at the book of numbers in chapter 2 it gives the same kind of picture of how Israel was to in camp the stones that we see are spoken of here in verse 14 and says the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb and so what we have is we have foundation stones that represent the church so we have the 12 tribes of Israel that are represented but we also see the foundation and you see that in Ephesians 2 verse 20 where Paul said the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone so this is a picture of the foundations and and and how God through Israel and the apostles has created the kingdom and verses 15 through 17 he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city its gates and its wall the city is laid out as a square its length is as great as its breath he measured the city with the reed 12,000 furlongs its length breath and height are equal then he measured its wall 144 cubits according to the measure of a man that is of an angel and so what we have here is well notice verse and verse 15 he says he who talked with me in chapter 11 John it was given a reed and a command he had said measure the temple of God the altar and those who worship there here the angel has a gold reed to measure the city its gates and its walls now in verse 16 it says the city is laid out as a square with walls that are 1380 to 1400 miles in length I want you to think for just a moment because when I say that it doesn't it doesn't 1400 miles is the distance from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and it would be from Colorado East to the Atlantic Ocean that's how big that is that's a good size it's very large so notice in verse 16 its length breath and height are equal and the city is in the shape of a cube verse 17 says he measured its wall 144 cubits according to the measure of a man that is of an angel that's interesting it's more than likely speaking of the thickness of this wall which that that would represent about 216 feet now there are no more details but by saying it's the measure of a man we can take that as literal measurement it is the place of all the redeemed throughout the ages and that's where they will we will inhabit now in verse 18 the construction of its wall was of Jasper the city was pure gold like clear glass the foundation of the wall of the city foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones the first foundation was Jasper the second sapphire the third jocetani the fourth emerald the fifth sardinix the sixth sardias the seventh chrysalite the eighth barrel the ninth topaz the tenth chrysal praise the eleventh jacinth the 12th amethyst the 12 gates were 12 pearls each individual gate was of one pearl and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass so heaven the construction of the wall he begins to try and describe to us something that's indescribable let me speak about this for just a moment how do you describe something well if I were blind and somebody were to approach me and speak to me and say it's like the color blue I would have no frame of reference I've never seen blue so how can you describe blue can you describe blue to someone who's never seen it because we would say when we describe blue we'd say well the shade of blue it's like the sea or it's like the sky well I've never seen the sea I've never seen the sky how do you describe something I've never seen or if you approached and said it's the smell like a rose but if I have no sense of smell how would I know what that is can you describe that because all we can ever do is use something it's by saying it's like it's like it's so he's trying to give to us something that we have yet to see and as he's doing this he's describing something that really is in such a magnificent way it's really indescribable in many ways he says that the wall the construction of the wall is Jasper again that's a very clear it's a clear diamond like stone he says the city is pure gold like cleared glass allowing it to radiate the glory of God now when you look at this by the way with everything made of clear substance there's no privacy there's no privacy but that's not going to be necessary because in heaven there's nothing to hide so there's no need for it but as he speaks he gives to us in verses 19 and 20 and I'll just read Jasper which is a completely clear diamond sapphire it's like a diamond yet it's brilliant blue chalcedony is an agate is sky blue with stripes of other colors emerald we all know that as bright green sardinics is red and white sardias is dark orange or even red quartz chrysalite is transparent gold or yellow barrel is greenish yellow or a blue topaz is yellow green or blue it's transparent chrysalis chrysalis is gold tinted it's green like an apple jathons is red violet can be reddish brown even a shining blue amethyst is clear quartz is it's crystal from purple to intense purple so this dazzling intensity of color is spectacular to imagine but what is also touching I want to look at this for a minute I'm going to develop this notice verse 21 the 12 gates were 12 pearls each individual gate was of one pearl the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass let me share something with you that might blow your mind when you think about it so one this will be the obvious thing this is where the term the pearly gates comes in you've heard of the pearly gates well who's when I get to the pearly gates well that's where that phrase came from the pearl gates each wall has pearl gates and notice again the streets are pure transparent gold now I mentioned to you that the city is a cube that means it will rise 1400 miles in the air so think for that it'll rise 1400 miles from the base to the top 1400 miles 1400 miles 1400 miles of the shape of the cube well each gate at the base of that cube this is where it gets mind boggling and I hope this makes sense to you when I'm through with this if it doesn't I'm sorry the gate is a cube there are 12 gates each gate rises to the height of 1400 miles yeah thank you 1400 miles but I want you to notice something this is where I think this is really amazing I'll read verse 21 again the 12 gates were 12 pearls each individual gate was of one pearl okay one pearl 12 gates 1400 miles high so one of the commentators that I want to quote is named John Phillips and John Phillips pointed out that the other gems that we've seen are either metals or stone the only thing the only thing that is mentioned that is formed by a living creature an oyster is the pearl the only thing that is formed by a living creature an oyster is the pearl so why would the gates be made of pearl is the question and so Bible commentator John Phillips points out that sand settles in the oyster shell and it irritates and actually wounds the oyster around the thing that causes it pain the oyster produces a pearl the pearl is the response to that which wounded it that means that the saints that pass through the gates will be eternally reminded of one thing entrance was granted because Jesus was wounded it gets better Isaiah 53 5 and 6 says he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him by his wounds we are healed we all like sheep have gone astray each of us has turned to our own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all so the enormity of the gates will eternally serve to remind us of the price that was paid that we might enter in they will forever remind us of the one who paid the price for us in Ephesians 1 verse 7 in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace which means we cannot work our way to heaven the price of entrance is too high we enter in by faith believing that the price has already been paid the only way I can enter in is through the blood of Jesus Christ that's how it works and that's something that for eternity the enormity of this will remind us of the enormous cost that God was willing to ransom us by sending his precious son Jesus who died on that cross-port out all of his blood how could I ever think that I could pay for entrance into heaven that's what throws under the bus the idea of us working our way to somehow do something me a puny slave to sin what could I ever do to ever get entrance into heaven I could do nothing that's why I receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ that's how that works and that's something to think of and this picture here when you read this understand that you're looking at a gate that's that's huge it's it's amazing in 1440 miles high what's that tell us the enormity of the price of of our salvation never take it for granted never take it for granted now notice in verse 22 I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple if you read through as we have a revelation up until now we've seen a temple in heaven we saw it in Revelation chapter 7 chapter 11 chapter 14 chapter 15 as well as chapter 16 a temple was mentioned but no longer is there a structure there's no temple necessary why because the true temple is with the people believers now have access to the most sacred fellowship with God no longer do they need to go somewhere to worship because he's there with them believers will always be with them there's going to be no time that our fellowship with God is broken there's no need for a temple there's no need for a church because the building because he is with us he's there now notice in verse 23 the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it the Lamb is its light God himself is the source of light in the city and his glory dispels any darkness in 1st John 1 verse 5 it says this is the message we have heard from him and declare to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all and in John 8 12 Jesus said I am the light of the world you who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life and so God illuminates that the Lamb is the light and verse 24 the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it its gates shall not be shut at all by day there shall be no light there they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it we'll look at that for a moment when it says in verse 24 and it says in verse when it says in verse 24 the nations and in verse 26 the nations that word nations for those of you who take notes you might find this interesting the word nations in the original language is ethnos ethnos it speaks of the nations it was used most commonly to speak of those who were not Jewish it speaks of the nations it speaks of people but it's not specifically speaking of what we would call national or racial identities he's saying that people from every nation shall be united in Jesus as the people of God and no longer will people identify by their national and ethnic origins people will identify in the way that they should as being God's children in Revelation 7 9 and 10 after this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation tribe people in language standing before the throne and before the lamb they were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands and they cried out in a loud voice salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne into the lamb let me share with you again for just a moment why this to me is so important for us especially today listen carefully and hopefully this will be clear and make some sense to us all we are living in a time now I get practical this is where exhortation starts coming in we're living in a time we all know this let me address it when this nation that was a pluribus unum we're all one united as one from the many one it's now being divided into groups and subsets and subgroups to the point that our nation is being divided from the inside because so many are beginning to identify first and foremost by their ethnicity now I could go on for a long time I won't because you didn't come here to hear me say this particular thing today but I'll say a few things and I'm going to try and find the words to say it properly if there's anything that's going to unite this nation it's going to be the gospel of Jesus Christ it it's going to be the gospel I'll tell you and we all know this but let me say it perhaps some are watching right now we have many various and various countries outside of the United States watching right now there's a big there's a large undermining I think of the unity of the of America right now by breaking us into groups and subgroups and so I'm concerned because on the one hand we have made one group within this nation the evil group and all other groups are able to say oh you are this you all know what I'm saying I don't have to go into detail about that I really believe that when you're in heaven it doesn't matter what group or subgroup that person next to you belong to you know why because those groups don't matter even now what matters is unity in Christ and laws will not make me love somebody from a different group you can pass as many laws as you want to tell me I have to love this group or that group this group or that group you can pass those laws but you cannot tell me who to love and who not to love that comes from a deeper source and when I got saved it was a Holy Spirit who told me you're one in Jesus Christ therefore it doesn't matter if you're black or brown or white or Asian it doesn't matter if you're Native American now if you look at me for many people don't know what I am and that's okay if you know me as a Christian that's the key that's the key my heritage 42% Native American probably wouldn't know that would you 33% Spanish 10% Portuguese didn't know that 9% French 3% Basque I am the United Nations and so I know who I am and I love my culture I love everything about being who I am I have no shame you know I didn't but I didn't have to march I was asked when I was 18 to become part of the brown beret one of my friends some of you don't even know what that is it but it was like a counterpart to the black Panthers and I had a friend of mine whose whose brother was one of the he was like a captain in it he wanted me to be part of that I wasn't even saved and I said listen marching and being angry isn't going to change this nation we need something greater than that I'm not going to march as a Mexican because I'm an American and I'm going to live for the right kind of thing now that's not that I has nothing to do with not loving what I am take me out to eat you'll find out what I am you know what I'm saying take me out to eat I've been sitting at Mexican restaurants eating menudo and people will walk up here you eat menudo who doesn't of course they do I love it why not but see but if you don't eat it say how you can't be my brother you don't eat that right so we got it listen this is something that every time I get here I say it we are one in Jesus Christ he makes us one and we can and in heaven it doesn't matter you're not gonna look for some white person I hang with them you're not gonna look for some black person over here you're not gonna be looking for a Mexican mowing the lawn you're going to be I'm playing don't get mad at me we're one in Christ and please understand that you know I don't know how to say this I fear that the church itself has been divided it has the church itself in in the United States has been divided you know listen I don't care if you're brown I don't care if you're white I don't care if you're black I don't care if you Asian I don't care what you self identify with in in terms of what you are Swedish you know Hungarian what do I care if Jesus is your savior like it or not we're brother we're brothers we belong together and we've got we've got to unite we've got to unite I'll say this I'm gonna get in trouble I use the first service for the radio and I say this to my Hispanic brethren because I know it's very deep I know that I am not a Mexican pastor of a Mexican church I'm a pastor of a church that's what I am now that doesn't mean that doesn't you know Paul said he loved his brethren according to the flesh Paul was Jewish and he loved his Jewish brethren so much he said I would give up my own salvation so they could be one to Christ there's nothing wrong with loving what God made you to be and I love what God made me to be I would have nothing else I love it somebody says you love Mexicans I married one I have Mexican kids I love what I am but not to the exclusion of you in my family you belong to me and I belong to you and this church has got to always understand that we belong together in Jesus Christ this isn't a Mexican church this is a church you have to understand that because I really believe that in our day race is being used to divide us in ways that I never saw in the years that I walked with the Lord it is dividing even people who love Christ and that should never be and that to me remember I told you I make an exhorter that's that's what makes my heart move it really does and so we need to understand that together we worship the Lord it says in verse 24 the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it those who weren't who were once rulers and our place and an equal plane with others in verse 25 its gates shall not be shut at all by day there shall be no night there in ancient cities gates were closed at night to protect themselves from from invaders that is no longer necessary and verse 25 again there there shall be no light there that's because there's no need to sleep you don't adjust the seasonal changes and it says in verse 26 they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it again there'll be no divisions no exclusions because of race these distinctions dissolve in the light of eternity and then he says there shall be by no means verse 27 but there shall by no means enter in enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life let me talk to you about this for just a second notice again verse 27 there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie now remember we already saw in verse 8 of chapter 21 the cowardly unbelieving abominable murderers sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death let me say this very quickly I didn't really build on this but I will share this very quickly in verse 8 notice the first one cowardly cowardly let me see when I first got saved I was taught to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and I did not only when I sit up and pray to receive Christ but when I left that place Jesus said if you confess me before men I will also confess you before my father who was in heaven but if you deny me before men I also will deny you before my father was in heaven cowardly there are many today in the United States if they take a survey and they're asked what are you they'll say my religious faith is Christian when I went into the army they asked us they even gave us a sheet of paper with all these denominations you know which one do you associate with I was Calvary Chapel they didn't have Calvary Chapel on the on this list at that time so I just chose a Protestant denomination and I put it there because that was in case you die in battle then you end up having this particular funeral service that's why they did that so from the very beginning I was taught confess the Lord Jesus Christ not just by standing up and praying but by living for him and I also was taught that to deny him was to actually be denied by him and so very early I was taught you need to live courageously for Christ don't be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ it's a power of God into salvation to anyone who believes that the Jew first and also for the Gentile so I was taught that the power of God is in the gospel of Jesus Christ and that I was called as a believer not as a pastor but as a believer I was taught to confess Christ and share him with people and so there are people who call themselves Christians who are unwilling to confess Christ that cowardly are not entering in why because that confession that they may have made just by saying something was not genuine they weren't transformed they are not followers of Christ in reality that's why the cowardly are not entering in why because you need to be willing to stand up and say I belong to him and I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ I am not ashamed of being called a Christian as a matter of fact I wear that as a badge of honor that's what I am and you have to identify in that way and live that way and that's why when I got saved the first thing I did is I went across the street and I shared with some people and then I came home and I told my mom and my dad and then for the next several weeks I lived for Christ then I opened the Bible to my dad that's what provoked me to share with him and tell me it's going to hell without Christ why because the Bible tells me that without Jesus Christ you enter into the lake of fire and I believed it then 50 years later I still believe it you have to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and not be ashamed of the gospel and the cowardly don't enter in so let's man up a woman up and talk for Jesus Christ especially today when it's so easy to deny him and so he says they shall by no means enter in anything that defiles or causes abomination or a lie and now I'm going to close you're thinking now you know finish I have to verses 1 through 5 he showed me in chapter 22 a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding from the throne of God and of the lamb in the middle of its street and on either side of the river was a tree of life which bore 12 fruits each tree yielding its fruit every month the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations and there shall be no more curse that the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it his servant shall serve him they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads there shall be no light there night there they they need no no lamp nor light of the sun for the Lord God gives them light and they shall reign forever and ever read this quickly the angel shows John a pure river of water of life he says it's clear as crystal now we know there are no longer any seas according to chapter 21 verse one which means they have no hydrologic cycle there's no longer any sun we saw that in verse 23 and no more seas which means there's no longer any rain so if there's no longer rain to fill rivers the river that we're looking at is a symbol it's a symbol of eternal life this is a pure river proceeding from the throne it's a symbol of the flow of eternal life from God's throne to heaven's inhabitants like it says in Isaiah 12 verse 3 with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation so it flows from God's throne and it's pure it represents the constant flow of life from God's throne to God's people and it's an everlasting flow of water revealing everlasting life it's clear as crystal because it comes from the throne of God in the lamb that means it's unpolluted and it reflects God's glory it says in verses 2 and 3 in the middle of the street either side of the river is the tree of life so the river flows to the middle of the city the tree is large enough to span the river the river is in the midst of the street and the tree is on both sides of the river the river is not necessarily wide but it is narrow which allows for that arrangement the tree of life is the counterpart of the tree of life found in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 322 it's revealed that the eat of it makes physical death impossible but in New Jerusalem this tree bears fruit that is edible continually it's a fruit bearing tree now a fruit bearing tree is a concept that is to express the blessings of God that's because fruit on a tree provides food and therefore is a blessing notice in verse 2 it bore 12 fruits each tree yielding its fruit every month the fact that he speaks of 12 trees with 12 kinds of fruit speaks of variety since there's no longer any time it speaks speaks of a continuous provision the leaves of the tree notice in verse 2 are for the healing of the nations word healing is where you get the word therapeutic from it speaks of health giving leaves they promote the enjoyment of life in New Jerusalem not for healing sickness because life in heaven is going to be filled with energy exciting and it's going to be joyful food is going to be eaten John it's going to be eaten not to sustain life but to make it more pleasant notice verse 3 there shall be no no more curse the curse on earth has been removed that means there's no sorrow there's no sickness pain or death in verse 3 again the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it the servant shall serve him so serving God and being with him will be our greatest joy first Samuel 12 24 it says only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things he's done for you and finally in verses 4 and 5 they shall see his face his name will be on their foreheads now Jesus has said in Matthew 5 verse 8 blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God and first Timothy 6 16 God dwells in unapproachable light whom no man has seen or can see but we're going to be able to see him will be perfectly holy and righteous we shall be able to endure the glory of God without being consumed by it and notice again in verse 4 his name shall be on their foreheads that's another way of saying that we belong exclusively to him and finally in verse 5 there shall be no night there they need no lamp nor light of the sun the joy will last for eternity as we believers reign forever and ever with him second Timothy 2 12 says if we endure we will reign with him we shall see him as he is and we shall worship him and we shall we shall look upon the face of the one who wept for us in the garden we shall look upon the lamb the lamb of God that was slain for us will be able to see him and eyes will behold him and and near us will be those that went before us those who were believers I'll see my grandmother who was a believer I never met her she died when my mom was nine months old I'll see my grandfather who my mom said read the Bible every day and I have his Bible in my home I will see my mom my dad I will see those whom I've loved who have gone before me I'll be able to walk up to my pastor Chuck and give him a hug again I'll see Steve Mays and some very dear friends who've preceded me what would be better than than that what would be better guys than to sing praise and worship God to be a complete peace with nothing but joy what would be blood more blessed than that nothing so we prepare our hearts to meet him we prepare to see him and I get to be with my Marie forever and ever and ever and ever and I look forward to enjoying Jesus with mama with my wife what is better father we bless you we bless you Lord for your goodness to us Lord I ask that we would keep our eyes on you especially in these troubled days that we live in our hope is in you I ask that you would awaken the church I ask that we would stop placing our eyes on what is around us now and start looking to the future that we might be driven by love for even as Paul said the love of Christ constrains me so I lift up your church it's easy to be distracted by what we see going on and things we're concerned with I ask that we would not be cowardly that we had open our hearts and share your good news with people father I asked for this church that you would just do your work in us and so I lift up every member here every person and those who are watching that we would fall in love even deeper with you today and that we would serve you for Lord that is what'll take place we will serve you for eternity enjoy gratitude or you've done and even as our eyes are closed our heads are bound perhaps there are some we need to get right with the Lord right now perhaps they're watching on online in the overflower in this room and you need to get right with the Lord and if you need prayer I want to pray for you would you raise your hand right now right where you're at that I might pray for you Lord you see these hands that are going up I ask in Jesus name that you would reach down and you would touch each person whose hand is raised to you and Lord I ask that you would move in such a way as to transform awaken us to your forgiveness and your love and may we live for you from this moment on and Jesus I ask that you would have your way in us and we look forward to seeing you but until that moment from this moment may we serve you faithfully and we thank you Lord and we receive from you right now and bless you thank you you can put your hands down and Jesus I ask that you continue to move in us in your name amen