Peering Into the Future: The New Realm

Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, May 6, 2007.

My wife is always amazed when I get an idea for building something. First, that I have to do it, and in order to do it I will set aside other things—sometimes more important things. Second, that I usually don’t have any written plan for how to accomplish it, and third, that despite the lack of a plan, it still turns out OK.

For instance, I have a saddle that my father bought 50-60 years ago. My kids had it restored for me for Christmas—it was held together with baling twine—and it is beautiful. Yet I had no way to display it, so I decided to build a saddle rack. I just went out to the garage and built one. All I had was an idea of what it should look like, knowing that as long as I had a vision of it, I could build it.

Today’s scripture reading from Revelation 21 describes Johns’ vision of what the future holds. It is a future beyond what you or I can imagine without this vision. John shares with us to give us hope in the world that God will build—a new heaven and a new earth.

When we read this passage, we see that new things are on the horizon. God's home will be with us, there will be neither sorrow nor death any more.

This is a vision of what ultimate hope is, and it differs radically from what we might imagine it to be. Our final hope is not about "going to heaven when you die." It is greater than that—our ultimate hope is beyond heaven--in the new creation, death and mourning and pain are no more, and our final hope is in recognizing that God is making a new heaven and a new earth and is coming to dwell among us "down here." That is our ultimate hope!

God will cause a renewal of the natural order AND the human order. John also describes a new city, the new Jerusalem, which he describes as the bride of Christ—all those who put their trust in his grace.

So what does this vision of the future have to do with us? All of these things may be centuries in the future or they may be tomorrow. Is that what lies ahead of us? Do we just wait for that day when Christ returns--suffering along, bearing our crosses? Is that what this text tells us? Does all our hope wait for us in heaven? Or is it beyond—in the new creation?

Ask yourself these questions: do I really believe what the Bible tells me? Do I have the courage to live that way? If death is no more, how can I live in ways I am now afraid to do? If mourning is no more, how will I serve differently, since there is nothing to lose? If pain is no more, how can I love in ways I had not dared to?

Are you really willing to really believe what the Bible tells us?--that living can be without fear of death, that serving can be without fear of loss, that giving is really a source of gain, that loving can be without fear of pain?

Take it a step further…how can you bring all these ideas together to serve God? By reaching out to those around us and simply letting them know that there is a place where they belong--Right here, in this church.

Just as John shares God’s vision for all of creation, I want to share with you what I believe to be the future for our church. It will be a place where all people are welcome, where they can find wholeness and healing in relationship with God and in relationship with others through small accountability groups, service clubs, or simply in worship. The church is to be a place without rivalry, bitterness, and anger. A place where all of us can express our gifts in service to God, whether those gifts are time, talents, or money.

Won’t you join me in this vision for the future? Come with me--I’ve seen it, you’ve seen it--be a part of something bigger than yourself! Reach out to your friends and family and neighbors--encourage them to come along with us as we live out this vision and rejoice in our ultimate hope!