John – Anticipation (Revelation 22)
Simon Lennox · Real Prayers for Real Life
30 August 2026
https://media.glenabbey.church/talks/john-anticipation-revelation-22

[0:03] He who testifies to these things says, yes, I am coming soon.
[0:12] Amen.
[0:13] Come, Lord Jesus.
[0:16] Good morning.
[0:19] The God of the universe, the one and only Jesus Christ, says, don't take my word for it, he's coming soon.
[0:30] And my question for us, for me, for you this morning is this.
[0:37] Are you looking forward to it?
[0:42] Are you excited for the return of Jesus and the start of the next life?
[0:51] And over the past few weeks, I've been asking a range of people that question in Belfast and I happen to be in London.
[0:59] both followers of Jesus and those who aren't.
[1:02] And I was about to ask somebody sitting next to me on a plane home at 35,000 feet in the air, but then I thought to myself, that is not the best question to put to somebody.
[1:12] But perhaps you're thinking or responding in the following ways.
[1:16] Maybe you feel so beaten up right now, worn out, bitter at life's disappointments, missing a loved one.
[1:26] or battling hardships of all kinds that you are crying out for it.
[1:32] Or perhaps you're petrified by loss and death of yourself and loved ones that you really struggle to think about it.
[1:42] You want to be with your family here.
[1:47] And yet you're torn because you want to be with your family here already in heaven.
[1:52] And maybe your heart breaks for those who might not be there.
[2:00] Or maybe belief in Jesus for you this morning is just a ticket to heaven.
[2:04] You're either just keeping your head down or even if you're honest, you're shutting all this out because you really want to pursue your own interests more than anything.
[2:16] Or maybe you're with us this morning and you hope to get there one day, but you're just not sure.
[2:24] you're not sure you'll be there.
[2:26] And I asked my barber, I know you're wondering, I get it, in London.
[2:34] Just quick shave, but I enjoy the chats.
[2:36] That is honestly why I go for that.
[2:38] But I asked him this question, not immediately, that's pretty hard, isn't it?
[2:42] You just walk in, sit down, are you looking forward to the next life?
[2:44] But it was more, as the conversation went on, he said this to me, yes and no.
[2:50] one can tell me if it's real.
[2:53] I just need to wait until I get there.
[2:56] He just wants to live his life, get on with it, and see what happens when he dies.
[3:01] Or maybe you're with us this morning and you don't believe in anything after death.
[3:06] It's just the end of existence.
[3:08] We just need to make the most of life, leave a legacy, do what we can with the hand we're dealt, keep building intelligent machines to see if we can beat it, and then that's it.
[3:21] Maybe you've seen this same video that I did by, it's the journalist and TV personality Piers Morgan interviewing Richard Dawkins.
[3:30] And he asked him, Richard Dawkins being a well-known atheist, what happens when you die?
[3:36] And Dawkins quotes Bertrand Russell and says, I shall rot and nothing of my ego will survive.
[3:44] And then he goes on to say, when you're dead, it's just like before you were born.
[3:49] I was dead for billions of years before I was born and never suffered the smallest inconvenience.
[3:57] Or maybe you simply haven't really thought about what the Bible says about the future.
[4:03] Or maybe you didn't realize you can actually get excited about it.
[4:07] But wherever you land on this morning, as we hit our final prayer in this summer series, Real Prayers from Real People, which this prayer is actually the penultimate verse in the Bible, the last of Jesus' spoken words as recorded in Scripture.
[4:24] And it's a prayer for us, it's not a one-off prayer.
[4:27] It's a prayer for all of us to repeat often as we live in the tension of the now and not yet of God's kingdom.
[4:35] It's a prayer to help us stand firm in the four fiercest storms that life throws at us, to give us words when there are none, to resist making Earth our home, to walk assured of life after death, to invest passionately with urgency in the life to come, and for us to stay together in the wait.
[5:04] And it's a little prayer that acts as a daily prompt for us all to really think hard about what we are really living for.
[5:15] Okay?
[5:16] So here's the plan.
[5:17] We're going to break down the passage into three questions.
[5:24] Who is the he at the start of this verse?
[5:27] He testifies to these things.
[5:29] We're going to remember again who he is and what he has done and celebrate that.
[5:34] Then we're going to ask, what is he coming to do?
[5:36] We're going to fill our hearts and minds afresh with what he promises to do in the final stage of his plan.
[5:42] And then We're going to ask the Lord, what then?
[5:46] How should we respond?
[5:48] We're going to ask God for this prayer.
[5:51] Come, Lord Jesus, to be real in our hearts and shape how we invest these short lives that we have been given.
[5:58] So let's ask the Lord to do that right now, then we're going to jump straight in.
[6:04] Lord God, you are the king of the universe.
[6:09] We praise you for offering the free gift of eternal life and citizenship in your kingdom starting today.
[6:18] And we pray for a fresh vision of your kingdom come, your imminent return and your plans for the next life.
[6:27] And I pray that the truths from your word this morning would bring hope, conviction, comfort and life change today in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
[6:40] Amen.
[6:41] Okay.
[6:43] Let's look to Jesus.
[6:45] And we could go to many different parts of the Bible to remember who he is, but we're going to stay in Revelation.
[6:53] We're going to go to chapter 1, verses 5 and 6.
[6:58] And I'm just going to preach Jesus here.
[7:02] And God says, and John writes, it's on screen, Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
[7:16] We could spend all day unpacking this, but we are told at least three things about the identity of Jesus Christ, which in turn answer three of the biggest issues of our day.
[7:29] Truth, death, and power.
[7:34] So Jesus, as the faithful witness, he is the answer to the issue of truth And he's a faithful witness to what?
[7:44] That he, firstly, is the Son of God, and that his kingdom is not of this world.
[7:54] And we read of his witness in the Gospels, and all that we read there, all the evidence points to who he is, where he first came from, where he was going, And we see that especially in two fixed points in the gospel accounts, the transfiguration and of course his resurrection.
[8:17] And the issue of whether Jesus is who he says he is, the focus.
[8:22] When Jesus was brought before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, so John 18, 36 to 38, it's worth reading these words.
[8:31] Jesus said this to Pilate, my kingdom is not of this world.
[8:37] If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders.
[8:44] But now my kingdom is from another place.
[8:48] You are a king then, said Pilate.
[8:51] Jesus answered, You say that I am a king.
[8:55] In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.
[9:02] Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.
[9:07] What is truth?
[9:09] retorted Pilate.
[9:11] Well, truth is a person.
[9:15] He is not a mere man, prophet, teacher, or sage with a vision that started a religion to help people find happiness.
[9:22] This is God in flesh.
[9:25] God come down to you, to me, to his creation.
[9:29] And there's no other faith, no other philosophy, no other religion that tells a story of a God coming down, becoming man, giving his life and of course rising again.
[9:42] And he came the first time.
[9:44] and that guarantees He's going to come again.
[9:48] Jesus, the faithful witness, the answer to the issue of truth because He is the truth.
[9:53] Secondly, Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, the answer to the issue of death.
[10:04] Now, death is a horrible reality in this world.
[10:11] And we think of the people of popular culture who have died recently, the Irish singer-songwriter Glenn Hansard or Dolly Parton or the actress Hayden Panettiere, or even the tragic incident just a few days ago at the big church festival, where at least one person has died and others injured.
[10:35] But here in Jesus, we remember again that death is not the last.
[10:41] word.
[10:41] The God-man rose from the dead and he didn't simply return to mortal life like Lazarus and others in the Bible.
[10:50] He eventually died again.
[10:52] He rose with a new kind of body in which death has zero power.
[11:00] And all the scientists and technologists and entrepreneurs and political leaders of the day might be trying to solve death with a technical solution with the rise of AI.
[11:12] But as my uncle puts it, they're too late.
[11:16] The problem's already been solved in Jesus.
[11:19] And just like a firstborn child can open the way for more siblings to follow, Jesus' resurrection from the dead is a model and guarantee.
[11:30] that those who trust him will also rise again with a new resurrection body.
[11:39] The resurrection changes everything.
[11:41] It's the foundation of the Christian belief.
[11:44] Jesus is God.
[11:46] This world is not final.
[11:48] Death is not the end.
[11:51] Thirdly, Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth, the answer to the issue of power.
[11:59] He's the Lord of the universe.
[12:01] Kings, leaders, rulers of this world are here today, gone tomorrow.
[12:05] They have delegated authority.
[12:08] It's only Jesus.
[12:09] He holds the real power in the universe.
[12:13] And one day, as we're going to see a bit more in a second, He will establish His rule and His reign fully.
[12:22] His kingdom is of another world.
[12:26] And let's hear this loud and clear and celebrate if you know this, but if this is new to you, His kingdom is another world, and we are born into that kingdom by repenting and trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord, and thereby we receive the free gift of eternal life.
[12:42] And whether you believe that or not, today, one day, we are all going to see and bow and confess that Jesus is Lord of Lords, King of Kings.
[12:54] Hallelujah.
[12:55] So Jesus is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler over all, the answer, the truth, death and power.
[13:05] And just look at the second-half of this passage and let our hearts rejoice in this.
[13:10] is what our God thinks of us and what he's done for us.
[13:13] To him he loves us.
[13:15] I'm going to repeat that again.
[13:18] To him he loves us.
[13:19] God loves us.
[13:22] and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priest to serve His God and Father.
[13:30] To Him be glory and power forever and ever.
[13:33] Amen, amen, amen.
[13:36] He loves us.
[13:36] How do we know?
[13:38] He died and rose for us, laid down his life in our place.
[13:41] He freed us.
[13:42] How do we know?
[13:43] He died and rose for us, faced the penalty for the sin of the world once and for all, and destroyed death once and for all.
[13:51] And he remakes us.
[13:53] How do we know?
[13:55] We now die to self, trust in Him, confess your sin, receive His Holy Spirit and enjoy His love and grace and forgiveness every single day as we become a new creation, born from above, a child of the King, permanent members of His family, permanent citizens of His kingdom with the privilege and joy to serve Him now with guaranteed entry and continued service in the life to come.
[14:18] That's who He is.
[14:22] Jesus is God, Savior, Lord.
[14:24] He's the way, the truth, the life.
[14:26] He is the resurrection, and he loves us, freed us, and remakes us.
[14:30] There's only one way you can respond to that, surely, and we're going to say it out loud.
[14:36] He who testifies to these things says, yes, I am coming soon.
[14:43] And all of us say, amen.
[14:46] Come.
[14:47] Lord Jesus, we're going to do plenty of that as we keep going here.
[14:50] So while holding on to Jesus, keep all that fixed in your mind, who he was, who he is.
[14:57] Let's look at what he's coming back to do.
[14:59] And that brings us to the next big question.
[15:02] What is he coming to do?
[15:04] But before we look at that, Jesus uses the word sin.
[15:09] I'm sure you're wondering, come on, sin?
[15:11] You've said that over and over again.
[15:13] What do you mean by sin?
[15:16] I thought I would look a wee bit deeper into this.
[15:18] And apparently the Greek word of soon means speed or swiftness or without delay.
[15:26] And Jesus first and foremost affirms that he will return.
[15:30] You can be sure of that.
[15:32] It will occur quickly.
[15:35] Actually when is only known by the Father, but it will happen and it will be sudden.
[15:41] And there are many discussions, some helpful, some not so much in terms of what is meant by soon regarding the timelines and the identity of the imagery and symbolism and Revelation.
[15:55] But the timeline is not the primary issue.
[15:59] It's good to think about it, but it's not the primary issue.
[16:02] It had to mean soon had to mean something to people at the time.
[16:06] Does that mean next week?
[16:08] I'm sure they're wondering, when is he coming?
[16:10] Or what about us?
[16:11] generations since, 2,000 years later, what does sin mean for us?
[16:16] It's only known by the Father, but whatever happens, whatever timeline you hear, everyone lands in the same place as Scripture, that it's going to be a time when there's no more death, no more Satan, no more sin, no more suffering.
[16:31] And Peter gives the best answer to this, and then we'll move forward.
[16:35] Second Peter 3, 2-3, Peter's responding to people going, ha, why's up?
[16:40] Why's up?
[16:41] When's this coming taking place that Jesus promised?
[16:45] And the first thing he does here is remind us that God's relationship with time is a completely different order than our own.
[16:53] He says, with the Lord, a day is like 1000 years, and 1000 years are like a day.
[17:00] That kind of puts you in your place a wee bit, doesn't it?
[17:02] And secondly, he says this, and this is so magnificent, the Lord is patient with you.
[17:10] not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
[17:20] And so that means there are at least two speeds going on here in terms of timeline regarding the Lord's coming.
[17:26] First of all, it's the speed of my timeline.
[17:29] I have no idea how long I'm going to be on this earth, nor do you.
[17:33] But when that day comes, thanks be to the Lord, I know I will be with the Lord.
[17:38] So in that sense, it is soon.
[17:40] I don't have long to live here.
[17:41] It's going to be soon.
[17:43] But then there's God's timeline.
[17:45] He knows the point in history when Jesus Christ will return and he's not slow.
[17:53] Don't lose hope.
[17:54] He is waiting for people to repent.
[17:57] And I'm certainly glad he waited.
[18:00] Hey, I've received that forgiveness and eternal life by trusting in the Lord Jesus and all those who have done the same this morning, you have that too.
[18:09] Thanks be to God.
[18:11] So with the sin in mind, let's jump into what then he's coming to do.
[18:16] Now from next week, we'll be journeying through what God says and John writes in the book of Revelation, which is great.
[18:23] So I don't really have to jump too far into this.
[18:25] We're going to go on a journey together as a community.
[18:28] And we're promised, by the way, in the start of Revelation, those who read it will receive a blessing.
[18:32] There's a weeve incentive.
[18:34] Go read it, get ready for the series, receive that blessing.
[18:37] But for now, I'm going to share 5 big statements of what the Bible says Christ promises to do.
[18:45] And after each statement, I'm going to read what Jesus says in 2220 and invite you all to say, amen, come, Lord Jesus.
[18:54] And I'm going to go at quite a pace here.
[18:56] I'm probably going to sweat like mad even more than I'm doing right now.
[18:58] I'm going to shower us with these truths.
[19:01] I'm not going to explain it.
[19:02] I'm just going to say it, read some core passages, and then we're going to respond.
[19:07] Okay?
[19:08] You ready for that?
[19:10] Here we go.
[19:11] Firstly, what is He coming to do?
[19:14] Well, let me tell you, He's going to return.
[19:17] Jesus will return literally and physically the way the disciples saw him ascend.
[19:23] John 14, he says, I will come back and take you to be with me.
[19:28] Acts 1.11, this same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
[19:38] He who testifies to these things says, yes, I am coming soon.
[19:43] Amen.
[19:44] Come, Lord Jesus.
[19:47] Next, Jesus will judge the nations, the living and the dead with a perfect justice.
[19:55] Second Timothy 4 says this, In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead.
[20:03] Matthew 25:31, All the nations will be gathered before Him and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
[20:13] He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
[20:17] Revelation 20, 11 to 15, Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.
[20:23] The earth and the heavens fled from his presence and there was no place for them.
[20:27] And I saw the dead great and small standing before the throne and the books were opened.
[20:33] Another book was opened which is the book of life.
[20:37] He who testifies to these things says, yes, I am coming soon.
[20:43] Amen.
[20:45] Come, Lord Jesus.
[20:47] Thirdly, Jesus will transform us.
[20:50] First Thessalonians 4, the dead in Christ will rise first.
[20:54] after that we here are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
[21:01] And so we will be with the Lord forever.
[21:03] First Corinthians 15, 51, listen, I tell you a mystery.
[21:08] We will not all sleep.
[21:10] We will all be changed in a flash in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.
[21:15] For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised and perishable, and we will be changed.
[21:20] Philippians 3, but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.
[21:37] He who testifies to these things says, Yes, I am coming soon.
[21:43] Amen.
[21:44] Come, Lord Jesus.
[21:47] Jesus will defeat evil and establish his reign.
[21:51] Just read Revelation 19 and 20.
[21:54] But 2 Thessalonians 2.
[21:56] And then the lawless one.
[21:58] Let's remember that there's going to be a despotic leader will appear on the world stage and proclaim himself to be God.
[22:04] And you can see from today's social, culture and political trends that is a very real reality.
[22:10] But this lawless one will be revealed.
[22:13] whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming.
[22:20] First Corinthians 15, then the end will come when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
[22:31] In Revelation 11, 15, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah and He will reign forever And ever, he who testifies to these things says, yes, I am coming soon.
[22:48] Amen.
[22:49] Come, Lord Jesus.
[22:50] And finally, Jesus will create a new heaven and new earth.
[22:55] Then I saw a new heaven and new earth.
[22:58] Revelation 21 is worth reading all of this and get this in our imaginations and hearts.
[23:03] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
[23:05] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
[23:11] I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
[23:19] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people.
[23:25] He will dwell with them.
[23:27] They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
[23:33] He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
[23:36] There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
[23:44] He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new.
[23:50] He who testifies to these things says, yes, I am coming soon.
[23:58] Amen.
[23:58] Come, Lord Jesus.
[24:01] Let's go just a little bit further as we get our imaginations and hearts and minds in gear of what the next life is going to be like.
[24:08] I'm going to hit you, I'm going to share things a wee bit more, just to call out the statements from the Bible of what it's going to look like.
[24:15] It's going to be a place that the Lord Jesus describes as paradise.
[24:21] Luke 23.
[24:22] It's going to be a place, Revelation 21, where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.
[24:29] John 14, it's going to be a place that the Lord Jesus will prepare himself.
[24:35] Matthew 24, 25, it's going to be a place of pure joy, but hear this, our responsibilities will differ according to how we've invested what we've been given in this life.
[24:45] Read those parables.
[24:46] First Peter, it's going to be a place where the Lord Jesus will arrange a rich welcome, which again seems to correlate with our cooperation with the Holy Spirit now in the transformation of our characters.
[24:58] Revelation 21, it's going to be a place of magnificent architecture, infrastructure, waterfalls, vegetation.
[25:04] The geography of heaven is much more vast, complex and incredible than we can imagine.
[25:10] Sometimes the way we talk about it, almost feels like it's going to be a disappointment.
[25:15] No.
[25:17] It's going to be incredible.
[25:18] There's going to be no need there for today of YOLO.
[25:22] You only live once.
[25:23] No, you don't.
[25:25] going to be eternity to explore all the good things that God's given this world into what's coming next.
[25:29] There's no FOMO.
[25:31] You're not missing out on anything.
[25:34] Enjoy what you can experience here, but there's a life, eternal life to come.
[25:37] There's no FOBO.
[25:38] That's another one I picked up.
[25:39] Fear of better options.
[25:41] None of that.
[25:42] This hope and what's coming next is a completely different story and narrative to live by.
[25:47] And then it's a place where the Lord Jesus will give us spiritual bodies like angels.
[25:51] And these bodies remain physical.
[25:53] Just look to Jesus if you want to know what it's going to be like in the next life.
[25:57] Jesus' resurrected body walked, talked, and ate.
[26:01] He walked, talked, and ate.
[26:03] The physical dimension to this new bodies we're going to have in Christ is amazing.
[26:07] And finally, it's a place where Jesus is.
[26:12] Heaven is where Jesus is.
[26:15] And first John three says this, but we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
[26:24] That needs another.
[26:26] Oh, let's do it from memory now.
[26:27] He who testifies to these things says, I am coming soon.
[26:31] One more.
[26:32] Come on.
[26:33] Amen.
[26:33] Come, Lord Jesus.
[26:36] So that's who Jesus is.
[26:39] That's what he's done.
[26:41] Those are the things he's coming to do.
[26:44] So then, what is our response?
[26:50] Oh, let me go back.
[26:52] Keep that question.
[26:53] What is our response?
[26:54] Well, Revelation starts with the rags of the church, and we're going to jump into that from next week.
[26:59] We're going to journey together through the judgments of God, through to the beautiful bride and banquet of the marriage of heaven.
[27:07] And I say that so we can all remember history's going somewhere.
[27:13] It's going to that day.
[27:15] And the last words that God has given us in the Bible, inspired for his people to say, is not a theological summary or instruction.
[27:25] It's a request addressed directly to Jesus, asking him to return.
[27:31] Because this prayer is a hinge point.
[27:34] It looks back at a Jesus who already came and forward to the one who is coming.
[27:41] Amen.
[27:42] Come, Lord Jesus.
[27:43] And amen simply means I agree, may it be so.
[27:49] you've just said that.
[27:50] You agree.
[27:51] You've said amen to what Jesus is saying.
[27:54] Come, Lord Jesus derives, I'm told, from the Aramaic word Maranatha, which you find at the end of 1 Corinthians 16, our Lord come.
[28:02] And the Greek behind come apparently is an imperative form paired with present tense for those who love linguistics.
[28:10] And imperative form, imperative present tense, so that conveys a heightened emotional intensity, intensifying our urgency for Christ's return.
[28:19] And I'm sure you've gone there already in your mind.
[28:21] You're thinking about the Lord's Prayer.
[28:22] Your kingdom come.
[28:24] Your rule and reign in my heart and life now.
[28:28] So we should be praying constantly about the future.
[28:31] It's not a one-off.
[28:34] is that constant prayer to have ready to say requests of the Lord, come Lord Jesus.
[28:41] And I want to return then to your responses to this as a whole, but also our question, are you looking for the next life?
[28:49] For those who do not believe in Jesus this morning, and these are a lot of my buddies, they don't want to think about the next life.
[28:58] This life is enough for them.
[29:00] They tell me, and they just want to focus on the present and love their family and get on with it.
[29:05] They're not looking for anything after this life.
[29:08] And I understand that heart, but the reality is, if I might cut straight to it, if that's you, you're deliberately ignoring that we live in a temporary world.
[29:22] We live in the present, yes, but as I was reminded recently, elementary logic tells us that we cannot actually live for the present.
[29:32] We live for the future, even if it's short term, like what am I going to have for lunch today?
[29:36] Hopefully you prepared that.
[29:38] Or the new school year.
[29:39] I'm sure you put some preparations in place.
[29:42] Or the exams or work targets or whatever it is.
[29:44] We all need something to live for.
[29:48] But I encourage you, urge you, invite you not to ignore all that's been said, to not live for the lie that this is the best of all possible worlds.
[29:59] It's simply not true.
[30:01] God has intervened in Jesus, and there will be an almighty reality check.
[30:08] And as I discuss this further with my friends, it led me to ask this question.
[30:15] If you were offered the following for you and your family, would you want it?
[30:19] I said this.
[30:20] Guaranteed continuance of life with your family after this world, which is free, can't be earned, isn't based on how well you live, and is a gift received immediately.
[30:29] But this continuing together in the next life means continuing all that is good in this world, and without all the craziness, destruction, death, illness, pain, and all that isn't good.
[30:38] It's paradise perfection the way life should be.
[30:42] It also means continuing to learn, develop, explore, experience, all this with millions of other people and complete peace, love, joy, meaning, and all under the reign and rule of the source of all love, good, and justice in relationship with the God who created the universe, inviting you to choose if you want all the above, and He's not even forcing you.
[31:01] And all of this meaning that every ounce of investment in what is good in this life, family, work, training, matters for this life and is preparation for the next.
[31:09] You're going to at least want that.
[31:12] if you don't believe it.
[31:13] And that has moved the conversation into a fascinating journey, not to block it out, but let's talk more.
[31:19] It all comes down if you don't believe to who you say Jesus is.
[31:21] Back to the top.
[31:23] Did he rise from the dead?
[31:24] That changes absolutely everything.
[31:26] If you're asking questions, exploring, this is the community for you.
[31:30] We love you, welcome you, want a journey with you.
[31:34] But for the believers in the room, should we go there?
[31:36] and your various responses.
[31:37] I'm just going to pick up on a few.
[31:39] There are many to continue on in the community.
[31:43] Those of you who are finding it hard right now to look to the future in light of present sufferings, I asked one person this, he's gone through a horrific time.
[31:52] This person is a grandfather and their grandchild.
[31:57] I can't even, I'll not even describe what's going on there, but for him, a follower of Jesus, there's no simplistic answer.
[32:06] But he repeated and looked me in the eye as he welled up that leaving God out of it doesn't solve it.
[32:11] I've tried that.
[32:12] Doesn't solve it.
[32:14] God in it doesn't bring a specific explanation.
[32:20] But the trust in God's character, a God who became part of suffering and the promises he gives to the next life helps make sense of the present, brings a hope like none other.
[32:33] And maybe that's where your heart is at today.
[32:36] Or what about those who are finding it hard to fall on the right side of the balance between wanting to stay here with family, but also wanting to be with your heavenly family?
[32:45] I think we need to start with the reality.
[32:47] That's perfectly natural to feel that.
[32:50] We are made in the image and likeness of God.
[32:52] He gave us paternal and maternal instincts.
[32:56] We want to live.
[32:57] We want to be around.
[32:58] This is what it means to be human.
[33:01] This is what makes love possible.
[33:03] But may I just say it's completely illogical for us not to think about the future.
[33:10] The reality is we only have a short time.
[33:13] We can't put our heads in the sand and ignore that.
[33:16] And I have a six-year-old and a three-year-old.
[33:19] And the reality is I can't hold on to my kids no matter how much I want to.
[33:25] They're going to grow up.
[33:27] They're going to make choices.
[33:29] And the way to prepare them is not to ignore the reality of heaven and future, but to model living in light of that for our families.
[33:37] Faith in something bigger than the now, developing trust in God on the way through.
[33:42] And if you're worried as well that you won't know or recognize your loved ones in the next life, I hear that quite a bit.
[33:50] Well, someone reminded me of the story of Lazarus.
[33:56] And we remember what Jesus said to Mary and Martha at that time, your brother, notice, your brother will rise again.
[34:03] In other words, death would not destroy what she valued in the relationship she had with Lazarus on earth.
[34:11] There will be relationship after death.
[34:14] That's something to look further into.
[34:17] And then finally, can we remember as well, there is a correlation between what we do in this life with what we experience, access and are responsible for in the next life.
[34:28] The New Testament's very clear.
[34:31] Our entrance into heaven does not depend on how we live.
[34:34] That's by God's grace alone, by faith alone and Christ alone.
[34:37] Hear that over and over and over and over again.
[34:40] And everyone will experience an expressible joy and fulfillment like nothing else.
[34:46] But the reality is if I waste the time as a believer, not serving, building character, we will suffer loss both in this life and the next.
[34:57] New Testament and various passages clear in this, since these things will all take place that we're saying amen to, then what kind of people are we going to be as we train for a position in glory?
[35:12] I could go with you about 20 other responses to that, but it brings us back to who Jesus is, because history is going somewhere.
[35:20] And at this point it would be great for the band to come back up and join us as we finish in worshipping the King.
[35:25] But history is going somewhere.
[35:29] The King, Jesus, will return.
[35:33] He is God, Saviour, Lord.
[35:36] He is the answer to truth, death and power.
[35:40] He will judge the nations.
[35:42] He will gather and transform believers.
[35:44] He will destroy evil, He will establish His reign, and He will create a new heaven and new earth.
[35:51] And so we pray, come, Lord Jesus.
[35:55] And not just in despair, like, get me out of here.
[35:59] We pray this to live in light of the future coming.
[36:02] That changes everything.
[36:04] You almost got to go back as a family and ask, what does this mean on a daily basis for how we invest everything God has given us and raise our children?
[36:14] And it's also, not to forget, if I may, some of the final words, instructions were given in Acts 178.
[36:22] It says this, it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
[36:39] Because the mission isn't complete.
[36:44] God is not slow.
[36:46] God is patient.
[36:49] We don't know when the ship is leaving, but with the Holy Spirit, we can help get that ship packed by sharing Christ and sharing this phenomenal hope that we have in Him.
[37:01] And so, words of Paul, Second Corinthians, we fix our eyes in light of all of this, not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
[37:14] since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
[37:20] And I adore these words from CS Lewis, in light of all that, to send us out with great courage and hope, there are far, far greater things ahead than any we leave behind.
[37:39] And as we jump into Revelation for the next number of months.
[37:45] We will have totally missed the point of it if it doesn't leave us with a heart of worship of King Jesus.
[37:55] And we're going to sing a powerful expression of everything we just touched the surface on.
[38:00] The song's called The Lord Almighty Reigns.
[38:03] And may this, I'm going to read one of the verses of this song, be our prayer and our song as we head out again.
[38:12] It says this, certain of that day, Christ we will proclaim.
[38:19] Oh, that more would share the prize, salvation in his name.
[38:26] Then greater will the anthem ring, a mighty chorus rising to the King.
[38:36] Amen.