Welcome to "Anchors of Truth"
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center,
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the "Extravagant
Love" series with Ty Gibson.
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There used to be
a song that we sang,
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I don't know if they
took it out of the new
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hymnal or not
called The Love of God,
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do you remember that song
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the love of God,
how rich and pure.
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How measureless and strong.
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It shall forevermore endure.
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The saints' and angels' song.
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We sing that and
it was one of my,
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my favorite songs. We have been
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ruminating on that
love of God these past
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several sessions,
talking about the extravagant
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love of God and
we've, we've taken this word
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that I said
previously sort of overworked,
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overused and given it
new depth and new meaning.
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Particularly when we
talk about the eternal,
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extravagant, all encompassing
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love of God for you and for me.
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We've had a good
time and sadly we've come
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down to our last sitting in this
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particular series of meetings.
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As our preacher,
our pastor, our friend
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Ty Gibson has been
expounding on God's
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word to us the love of God.
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My name is C. A.
Murray and it is my
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privilege and
pleasure to welcome you sadly
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to this last meeting.
Ty began with eternity
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past, this afternoon
we look at eternity future
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under the context the
extravagant love of God
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and we are so very,
very pleased to have
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him with us. He is
a busy, busy man but
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most people who work
for the Lord are busy,
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busy men and women.
But he has stopped by
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to give us the word of
God yet again this afternoon.
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We're gonna change
things up just a little bit
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and rather than
have a singing musical
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ministry, we're going
to have a Pianist musical
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ministry by one of
the very best, our own
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Jill Morikone who is sitting
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at the Piano even as I speak.
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Before we call upon
her, we're going to call
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upon the Lord and
ask His presence as we
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have our meeting this
afternoon, shall we pray?
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Gracious
Father, we do thank you,
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we praise you for
being such a wonderful
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gracious and yes loving God.
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You have demonstrated
your love in that while
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we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us
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and your word says,
greater love hath no man
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than that He lay down
His life for His friend.
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But you've done
better than that,
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because Jesus lay down
His life for His enemies
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and for those who had
turned their backs on Him.
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Lord, we respond to
that love in infirmity
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this day and ask You
to fill our hearts with
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Your Spirit, bless
Your men servant yet again
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as You have done
during the previous four
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sittings together,
give him words that are meat
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in due season for our
thirsty and weary souls.
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And give us open
and receptive hearts,
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ears and minds as we seek to
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know Your will for our lives.
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And then to walk
in that will and way.
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We love You, we praise You
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and we thank You,
in Jesus name, amen.
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Our speaker again Ty Gibson,
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but before he comes
to us Mrs. Jill Morikone.
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Amen. Thank you
Jill, I was peeking around
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the corner from
backstage and I don't
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know if you noticed
it from your angle but
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Jill was really feeling
the beauty of that music
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coming through her
to us and our goal here
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of course has been to
think and to feel for the
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heart of God.
We've been reaching
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up and out of ourselves,
as the Apostle Paul says
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all of us as human
beings I don't if you
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remember this but in
Acts chapter 17 he says
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that God leads us to feel
after him with our hearts.
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That's what we're
endeavoring to do and
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we've now come to
the 5th and final session
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together that we have entitled
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"Extravagant Love"
and lets see if we have a
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down yet, what
kind of love is this?
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Extravagant love and
we've now come to the
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conclusion of
our series together.
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We began in session number 1
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by contemplating eternity what?
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Past and now we
have traversed the entire
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course of this beautiful
gospel of Christ and are
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about to turn our gaze
toward eternity future.
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We noticed in our
first session that Psalm
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chapter 90 and verse
2 kind of neatly and for
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the sake of our
finite human understanding
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divides reality into
those two basic parts.
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There David
says from everlasting
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to everlasting you are God,
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this God of
infinite other centered love
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has always existed
and we learned that he has
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existed in that eternity past.
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Engaged in self giving love,
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Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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I mean if you were to,
in the most succinct and
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clear way possible
communicate to a friend
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or to a relative. Hey what,
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what's God all about?
They might ask what do
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you believe I wonder
what you would say to them.
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I would suggest that
that you would begin by
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saying well I'll tell
you what I believe about
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God, I'll tell you what
God is really all about?
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God is love, always
has been and always will
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be, before any
human beings existed,
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before the angels
existed, the eternal self
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existent uncreated
God has always existed and
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a beautiful tryst
of other centered love.
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And that story that we've been
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contemplating then
continues as a running
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narrative to unfold
before us that God's
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love eventually took on a
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personified form in our world.
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Jesus came into our
world as a human being
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to amplify, to
magnify, to communicate in
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practical flesh and
bone, relational terms
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that we could understand.
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He came into our
world as the consummate
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Revelation of
the character of God.
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And as He came into
our world that beautiful
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disclosure of the
divine heart reached its apex,
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its zenith point at
the cross of Calvary.
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We entitled that
message off the charts
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and we discovered
that God's love is more
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enormous and beautiful
then we could ever fully
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comprehend or
imagine. That literally at the
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cross Jesus revealed
that the creator of the
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universe loves all others above
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and before His own
life. And then we moved on
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from there this
morning to discover some other
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practical implications
of God's extravagant love,
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by practical
implications I mean we began to
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pose the
question. Okay, alright,
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God loves us like
this, God's love is
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extravagant it's
beautiful, we see it
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displayed and
demonstrated in Christ
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but how do I tap into it,
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how do I access this love so.
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That it's not just the
theory but it becomes a
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living,
pulsating, reality in my life
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and in all my relationships.
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And we discovered
that the Bible teaches that
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God's love finds
access to our hearts,
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to our lives
through the medium of
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comprehension, you remember.
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Those of you who are
there for that message,
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we looked at
Ephesians chapter 3 and we saw
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that Apostle Paul
informs us through
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prayer that the Holy
Spirit wants to take up
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residence inside of
us. That Jesus wants to
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come into our hearts
and to live in us by faith.
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And then Paul
turns a corner and he
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says the way you
bring Jesus into your heart
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and life is by
becoming routed and grounded in
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his love you
remember. And becoming rooted
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and grounded in his
love as a agricultural
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metaphor is then
explained to us in more
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practical concrete language.
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Paul says, get
rooted and grounded in his
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love and then he
says I pray that you would
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comprehend the love of Christ
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which passes
knowledge. To comprehended it
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means to grasp it
with the mind and with the
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emotions, it means to
come to the place where
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we understand its
various dimensions and facets.
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God's love is like a
multi-faceted diamond
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that we hold to the
light and with every turning
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the color prism of
His character is refracted
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and reflected
into our understanding.
00:13:59.91\00:14:02.31
We saw seven dimensions of God's
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multidimensional
love and I wanna challenge
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you that I was just
scratching the surface.
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I wanna ask you to
make it your lifelong
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pursuit to explore and
to peel back the layers
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of God's love
throughout scripture
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from Genesis to Revelation and
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I guarantee you that
as you do you will find
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your self falling more
and more deeply in love
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with God with every new glance,
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with every new insight
to His beautiful character.
00:14:35.78\00:14:39.68
So, that's where
we've come from and now
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in our final
session we're going to talk
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about eternity
future, we're going to pose a
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rather simple question.
What does eternity look
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like, what does it hold for us?
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What will life be like
in eternity future once this
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great controversy is
over, this dark midnight
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of pain and
suffering and agony has passed?
00:15:05.72\00:15:09.02
And we find
ourselves safely on the eternal
00:15:09.03\00:15:12.13
shores of that
kingdom the prophecy says
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shall never end, what, what will
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it be like in eternity future.
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And I would like
to suggest to you
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that eternity
future looks exactly like
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eternity past just with
a lot more participants.
00:15:28.89\00:15:35.55
And if eternity
past looks like and other
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centered self
giving friendship Father,
00:15:39.18\00:15:42.36
Son, and Holy
Spirit living only and ever
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for one and other.
Then eternity future
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looks just like that,
except for now you and
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I have been inducted
into that fellowship.
00:15:51.01\00:15:54.35
Now we are participants
in this eternal free fall
00:15:54.97\00:16:00.46
of ever deepening
love relationship with God
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and I might add
with one another.
00:16:04.27\00:16:07.47
Now, this
eternity future that we're
00:16:08.45\00:16:10.25
discussing begins at
the second coming of Jesus
00:16:10.48\00:16:14.90
Christ in a
sense, I say in a sense
00:16:14.91\00:16:17.72
because and we don't
have time to explore this.
00:16:18.58\00:16:20.93
Eternity future
actually begins in another sense
00:16:21.62\00:16:24.39
right now, Jesus
said I come that you may
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have life and that
you might have it present
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tense more abundantly,
there is a sense in which
00:16:32.47\00:16:35.78
eternal life is a
quality of life that we have now
00:16:35.79\00:16:39.22
before the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:16:40.15\00:16:43.67
We partake of it in quality,
00:16:44.41\00:16:46.84
in our relationship
with God on a daily basis
00:16:47.07\00:16:49.56
we're continually
tasting what it's like
00:16:49.99\00:16:53.41
to live in
eternity future with Him.
00:16:54.23\00:16:56.85
So, there is a sense
in which eternal life
00:16:57.17\00:16:59.82
and eternity future
is experienced here and
00:17:00.37\00:17:04.96
now on a daily basis in
our relationship with God.
00:17:04.97\00:17:08.16
But this whole
relationship with Christ
00:17:09.12\00:17:12.48
that begins here
and now reaches its
00:17:12.81\00:17:14.95
consummation at
the Second Advent.
00:17:14.96\00:17:17.79
Turn with me in
your Bible to chapter 14
00:17:18.55\00:17:20.74
of the gospel of
John this is a familiar
00:17:21.07\00:17:23.63
passage to anybody
who has spent time in
00:17:23.64\00:17:27.55
scripture, it is one of
the most familiar passages
00:17:27.56\00:17:32.62
of scripture but I'd
like you to look at it with
00:17:32.63\00:17:34.78
me as if you've
never looked at it before.
00:17:34.79\00:17:37.43
I want you to open your
mind and heart to notice
00:17:38.40\00:17:41.31
something in this
second coming passage
00:17:41.32\00:17:44.53
so that we can see
and understand the second
00:17:44.99\00:17:47.45
coming of Jesus
Christ perhaps in a way we've
00:17:47.46\00:17:50.58
never thought of it before.
00:17:50.59\00:17:52.14
And yet in precisely the
way it is depicted in the
00:17:52.74\00:17:56.31
text, look here at chapter
14 of the gospel of John.
00:17:56.32\00:18:01.01
Jesus is speaking to
His disciples and He says:
00:18:01.37\00:18:03.68
Let not your hearts be
troubled, you believe in
00:18:03.69\00:18:06.78
God believe also in
me. Why are they troubled
00:18:06.79\00:18:10.01
by the way in the context here,
00:18:10.02\00:18:11.29
what has he been
telling them is going to happen?
00:18:11.30\00:18:13.72
He's been saying
you know I'm going to
00:18:14.59\00:18:16.27
depart from this
world. It's almost over,
00:18:16.55\00:18:19.88
our relationship this
last three and half years it's
00:18:21.57\00:18:24.71
coming to an end, I'm leaving.
00:18:24.72\00:18:27.96
They don't
comprehend what He means,
00:18:27.97\00:18:29.63
they denied the
idea that He will have to
00:18:29.85\00:18:33.06
suffer and die over
and over again, they don't
00:18:33.07\00:18:35.66
get it but they are
troubled because there
00:18:35.67\00:18:37.94
is one thing
they're all understanding.
00:18:37.95\00:18:39.58
He saying
goodbye and they feel it,
00:18:40.29\00:18:42.82
let not your heart be
troubled you believe in
00:18:43.84\00:18:45.86
God believe also in
me, but watch what He says
00:18:45.87\00:18:47.92
here: In my
Father's house are many,
00:18:47.93\00:18:50.68
what is your
version say, mansions,
00:18:50.69\00:18:53.63
that's right, oh!
Wait a minute somebody else
00:18:54.05\00:18:56.11
has a different
version I heard it, rooms.
00:18:56.12\00:18:59.45
Now, we like to, to
home in on the mansion
00:19:00.18\00:19:04.34
language, but I'd like
to suggest you that the
00:19:04.35\00:19:08.42
second coming of
Jesus and eternity future
00:19:08.43\00:19:11.39
is not to register
in our minds and in our
00:19:12.57\00:19:16.24
theology as a
materialistic hope,
00:19:16.25\00:19:19.20
do you hear what I'm saying?
00:19:20.19\00:19:21.16
We're not called upon
in scripture to think of
00:19:21.99\00:19:27.68
heaven and eternal
life and the Second
00:19:27.69\00:19:30.83
Advent in materialistic terms.
00:19:30.84\00:19:33.67
Now, most versions
say: In my Father's
00:19:33.94\00:19:35.91
house are many mansions,
00:19:35.92\00:19:38.51
but somebody's
version, they just quoted from
00:19:38.52\00:19:40.33
the New International
version which in some
00:19:40.34\00:19:42.74
ways is a version that
is weak on other verses but
00:19:43.36\00:19:46.90
on this verse it is
most accurate to the Greek.
00:19:46.91\00:19:49.35
Here it literally
says, Jesus literally says:
00:19:50.52\00:19:53.21
In my Father's
house are many rooms,
00:19:53.22\00:19:56.12
the idea here that
Jesus is communicating is not
00:19:56.72\00:19:59.99
a materialistic hope
but a relational hope.
00:20:00.00\00:20:03.85
He says in so
many words I'm leaving,
00:20:04.42\00:20:06.32
I'm departing and I know
you're bummed about that.
00:20:07.15\00:20:10.09
But I want you to
know that I'm going to the
00:20:10.45\00:20:13.40
Father's house and
I'm going to prepare rooms
00:20:13.41\00:20:16.98
for you there. In
other words you're
00:20:16.99\00:20:20.04
going to
ultimately live with me in my
00:20:20.05\00:20:25.54
Father's house,
it's a relational
00:20:25.55\00:20:29.75
aspiration that Jesus
is communicating here.
00:20:29.76\00:20:33.25
Now, there's no doubt
about it everything in
00:20:34.42\00:20:36.74
this heaven and eternal
life including the rooms
00:20:36.75\00:20:39.18
we live in are going to be truly
00:20:39.19\00:20:42.26
luxurious and mansion like.
00:20:43.01\00:20:45.24
These were be
mansion level rooms no doubt,
00:20:45.76\00:20:48.60
but that's not the
point. It's not about the
00:20:49.30\00:20:54.11
material stuff, it's
not about the streets of
00:20:54.12\00:20:56.49
gold, it's not about
the gates and wow they're
00:20:56.50\00:20:58.55
made out of pearl are they?
00:20:58.56\00:21:00.11
I like pearl, no
the streets of gold my
00:21:00.38\00:21:06.09
friends are paving
material in the kingdom of God.
00:21:06.10\00:21:10.27
It has no significance
in a moral value system,
00:21:11.57\00:21:16.25
even now if you stop
and think about it you
00:21:17.66\00:21:20.40
know don't you? That
in a truly cognoscente
00:21:20.41\00:21:24.78
moral value system,
money has no significance.
00:21:24.79\00:21:30.25
Now, my wife Sue
and I just to give you
00:21:31.58\00:21:34.74
a glands into what
I'm trying to get out.
00:21:34.75\00:21:38.23
My Sue and I, when
we got married we were
00:21:38.24\00:21:40.08
very idealistic and
very enthusiastic about this
00:21:40.24\00:21:44.76
thing called the
marriage institution
00:21:44.77\00:21:46.75
and it's potential
for this remarkable
00:21:47.30\00:21:49.84
ability to
procreate. We thought that is
00:21:50.06\00:21:53.15
amazing, we could
actually bring into
00:21:53.16\00:21:55.90
existence human
beings who have never existed
00:21:55.91\00:21:58.08
before as many as we want.
00:21:58.09\00:22:00.45
I said we were idealistic Sue
00:22:03.08\00:22:04.57
and I were also very biblical.
00:22:04.58\00:22:06.33
We were just discovering the
00:22:07.84\00:22:09.40
scriptures as
teenagers and when we got
00:22:09.43\00:22:12.68
married we said
let's have twelve children.
00:22:12.69\00:22:15.44
That's a biblical
number, we will populate the
00:22:17.57\00:22:20.34
kingdom, no we were not Mormons
00:22:20.35\00:22:23.16
but we were very
determined to have
00:22:23.79\00:22:26.76
lots of children and
then an 8 pound and ten
00:22:26.77\00:22:30.48
ounce Amber came out
of Sue's little body.
00:22:30.49\00:22:34.59
And Sue said would
you be cool with six,
00:22:35.90\00:22:39.05
it sound it like a
very small number to me
00:22:41.34\00:22:43.12
at that point, I
thought oh man I don't know
00:22:43.44\00:22:45.29
I like the twelve
sounds better I mean look at
00:22:45.30\00:22:48.24
this beautiful
child. We can, we can have
00:22:48.25\00:22:50.07
one after another
why would you stop,
00:22:50.08\00:22:51.75
but I like Sue,
I like her a lot.
00:22:52.97\00:22:55.32
And I heard the screams of
00:22:55.72\00:22:57.89
childbirth and I said okay six.
00:22:57.90\00:22:59.76
And then Jason came
into the world as wide
00:23:00.45\00:23:04.75
as he was tall
and Sue said please,
00:23:04.76\00:23:10.27
please how about just four,
00:23:10.28\00:23:12.55
let's just have four
children I said okay four.
00:23:13.07\00:23:15.22
And then little
baby Leah came into the
00:23:16.32\00:23:19.57
world and it was not
an easy feet, she came out
00:23:19.58\00:23:23.45
out upside down
backwards or sideways
00:23:24.31\00:23:26.40
or something. And
it seemed as though she
00:23:26.41\00:23:30.20
was holding on to
Sue's spleen or her spine or
00:23:30.21\00:23:34.16
something and wouldn't let go.
00:23:34.58\00:23:36.10
There was
excruciating pain involve and as
00:23:36.68\00:23:39.66
soon as Leah was
born Sue said that's it.
00:23:39.67\00:23:43.50
I'm done, with her
fingernails digging into
00:23:44.04\00:23:47.50
my arm as if to say
done right, I said yes
00:23:47.51\00:23:52.22
baby done, just three that's it,
00:23:52.23\00:23:55.17
no problem it's
over. And then we watched
00:23:55.36\00:23:58.91
these three
children grow up and as they
00:23:58.92\00:24:01.88
grow up and days
turned into weeks and
00:24:01.89\00:24:04.33
weeks turn into months and
00:24:04.34\00:24:05.66
the months turn into years.
00:24:05.67\00:24:07.13
I can tell you in
all honesty that when
00:24:08.13\00:24:11.20
I closed my eyes and
I think that to the best
00:24:11.21\00:24:17.13
memories of my
life. Never does any
00:24:17.14\00:24:22.34
materialistic or
professional type of a
00:24:22.35\00:24:25.24
consideration pop
into my mind, when I think
00:24:25.25\00:24:28.59
of the best and
happiest moments of life.
00:24:28.60\00:24:30.92
I see my daughter
Amber 13 years of age
00:24:31.56\00:24:35.75
alone with her daddy
in the city of Riga in
00:24:36.69\00:24:40.51
Latvia on a mission
trip, bonding and she
00:24:40.52\00:24:44.44
is nervous and
she's missing her mom.
00:24:44.45\00:24:46.58
And she's beautiful
and we're connecting on a
00:24:47.48\00:24:50.91
whole new level,
I see my son Jason
00:24:50.92\00:24:53.84
and myself on a
mount bike ride through a
00:24:55.14\00:24:57.31
mountain pass and an
unexpected storm comes.
00:24:57.32\00:25:01.35
And we take refuge,
laughing our heads off
00:25:01.74\00:25:05.39
and dripping wet under
a tree and I see my little
00:25:05.71\00:25:10.27
precious Leah on my
shoulders as we hike to
00:25:10.28\00:25:14.58
a waterfall and
she's banging me on the top
00:25:14.59\00:25:16.69
of the head saying
giddy up daddy, giddy up.
00:25:16.70\00:25:18.76
Those are the
snapshots that come to my mind
00:25:22.47\00:25:27.08
when I think of
what really makes life
00:25:27.60\00:25:30.62
significant and worth living.
00:25:31.06\00:25:33.29
What I'm trying to
say to you is that life
00:25:34.88\00:25:37.50
as God intended to be
is primarily a relational
00:25:38.38\00:25:44.55
reality, not a
materialistic reality.
00:25:46.09\00:25:49.69
Now, please
don't misunderstand me,
00:25:51.42\00:25:52.86
I look forward to
heaven and all the,
00:25:52.87\00:25:54.54
the glories of heaven,
but what I'm telling you
00:25:55.08\00:25:58.78
is that eternity
future is made up of something
00:25:59.43\00:26:04.44
so beautiful that
once you begin to grasp it,
00:26:04.45\00:26:09.39
it takes your breath
away. And it leads you to love
00:26:10.48\00:26:16.06
the Lord like
you never have before
00:26:16.07\00:26:18.90
and everything of a
material significance
00:26:19.18\00:26:22.76
just recedes. Even in this life
00:26:22.77\00:26:25.68
nothing really has any
comparison to what it's
00:26:26.49\00:26:31.39
like to truly know
that you are eternally loved
00:26:31.40\00:26:35.61
by God in a
significant and powerful way.
00:26:35.62\00:26:39.61
Nothing even is a
close second to that
00:26:40.08\00:26:44.39
deepening
realization, Jesus tells us our
00:26:44.40\00:26:49.03
destiny that
we'll commence at His
00:26:49.04\00:26:51.62
second coming. He
says: Let not your heart be
00:26:51.63\00:26:53.92
troubled: you believe
in God, believe also in me.
00:26:53.93\00:26:57.56
In my Father's
house are many rooms:
00:26:58.21\00:27:00.53
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:27:00.54\00:27:02.63
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:27:03.42\00:27:06.06
And here's His whole
point, I go to prepare
00:27:06.07\00:27:09.69
a place for you, notice this
00:27:09.97\00:27:13.75
that where I am
there you maybe also.
00:27:14.84\00:27:20.60
Do you hear what He is saying?
00:27:21.29\00:27:22.26
He's saying I want you with me,
00:27:22.85\00:27:25.82
is there anybody
who's like that for you?
00:27:27.74\00:27:29.44
Is there anybody that
you just like being with,
00:27:30.67\00:27:32.76
it doesn't, you're
not nervous there is no
00:27:33.63\00:27:35.89
affectation, there is
no atmosphere, there is no
00:27:35.90\00:27:40.75
self
consciousness. You can be silent
00:27:40.76\00:27:43.29
if you wanna be
silent, you can fall asleep in
00:27:43.30\00:27:45.39
the car and slobber
and they're driving and you
00:27:45.40\00:27:47.78
don't feel bad. You
just like being with them,
00:27:47.79\00:27:52.02
is there anybody
like that for you,
00:27:53.10\00:27:54.43
I know there has to
be a friend or mom or dad
00:27:55.16\00:27:58.86
and auntie and uncle
and Nana and papa, a spouse.
00:27:58.87\00:28:02.75
Somebody that you just
feel totally comfortable
00:28:03.58\00:28:07.09
with and you
enjoy their company.
00:28:07.10\00:28:09.44
Jesus essentially
says that's the quality of
00:28:10.43\00:28:14.99
connection I want
with you, I want you to be
00:28:15.00\00:28:19.74
with me just with me
for all eternity future.
00:28:19.75\00:28:24.95
In the modern vernacular,
I just really want to
00:28:25.74\00:28:29.57
hang out with you
forever, I like you,
00:28:29.58\00:28:33.87
yes He loves us and
we've been exploring
00:28:33.88\00:28:36.22
the fact that He loves
us with an extravagant,
00:28:36.23\00:28:39.22
everlasting love.
But listen, like is
00:28:39.23\00:28:45.23
dimension of love and
what I'm telling you is
00:28:45.24\00:28:49.19
not only does He love
you in a sense that out
00:28:49.20\00:28:52.72
of you know out of
a sheer unconditional
00:28:52.73\00:28:55.34
principle of
love he tolerates us,
00:28:55.35\00:28:58.71
no He doesn't just tolerate us,
00:28:58.99\00:29:00.81
He actually likes
us. Now, He doesn't like
00:29:01.97\00:29:05.33
the things that we do sometimes,
00:29:06.39\00:29:08.52
but you know from your own human
00:29:09.06\00:29:10.39
experiences that
it's possible to love
00:29:10.40\00:29:13.99
someone and to like
certain dimensions of
00:29:14.00\00:29:17.15
what you see to be their
potential and not to like
00:29:17.16\00:29:21.09
the things that you seen them do
00:29:21.52\00:29:23.84
that will below their potential.
00:29:23.85\00:29:25.52
Well, Jesus sees in you
the full blown potential
00:29:26.16\00:29:31.37
that you have if
you allow your heart and
00:29:31.38\00:29:34.03
mind and life to be
cultivated by His love.
00:29:34.04\00:29:36.57
He sees that it
is entirely possible
00:29:37.32\00:29:39.78
for His very own
image to be completely
00:29:40.16\00:29:43.31
reconstructed in you and in me,
00:29:43.32\00:29:46.38
He sees that potential.
And He sees flashes of
00:29:48.06\00:29:51.69
it in moments of
true, adoring worship,
00:29:51.70\00:29:55.77
He sees flashes of it
when you engage in acts of
00:29:56.53\00:30:00.89
service for others
with no self consideration.
00:30:00.90\00:30:05.17
He looks at you
when you experience a
00:30:05.91\00:30:09.42
genuine sense of
affirmation and you
00:30:09.43\00:30:12.26
reach out in
acceptance to another person who
00:30:12.27\00:30:15.36
is in need. He says that's the
00:30:15.37\00:30:17.67
person I know you can
be 24/7 every second of
00:30:17.81\00:30:21.86
the day into eternity future.
00:30:21.87\00:30:23.90
And I wanna be
with you and I'm in the
00:30:24.85\00:30:27.93
process of
beautifying your character
00:30:27.94\00:30:30.83
according to
Ephesians chapter 5, making His
00:30:31.16\00:30:34.25
bride beautiful,
removing every spot
00:30:34.43\00:30:36.89
and wrinkle and
any spot of defilement.
00:30:37.27\00:30:41.12
He is beautifying
our characters for the
00:30:41.44\00:30:44.69
consummation for the wedding
00:30:44.70\00:30:46.53
at the Second
Advent. And that's the person
00:30:46.98\00:30:50.18
Jesus says I want to
be with for all eternity.
00:30:50.19\00:30:52.82
He goes on and He
says: That where I am,
00:30:53.63\00:30:55.39
there you may be also.
And where I go you know.
00:30:55.40\00:31:00.19
And the way you
know and Thomas said to
00:31:00.50\00:31:02.69
him, Lord, verse 5,
"Lord, we don't know
00:31:02.70\00:31:05.08
where you're going, so how can
00:31:05.09\00:31:06.15
we possibly know the way?
00:31:06.16\00:31:07.29
They're still not
getting it and Jesus said to
00:31:08.59\00:31:10.88
them, verse 6: I am the
way, the path, the road,
00:31:10.89\00:31:16.02
I am your spiritual
journey, I am the way,
00:31:17.54\00:31:21.99
the truth and the
life and then He states
00:31:22.00\00:31:24.34
explicitly our eternal destiny.
00:31:24.35\00:31:26.83
No man comes to the
Father except by me,
00:31:27.36\00:31:32.38
He doesn't say boy
you're gonna really love
00:31:33.94\00:31:36.22
eternity future
because I have some really neat
00:31:36.23\00:31:38.62
architecture in
mind for your mansion.
00:31:38.63\00:31:42.16
I've got great stuff
for you there, He says no
00:31:43.26\00:31:47.28
your destiny is the
Father, He longs for
00:31:47.61\00:31:51.56
you, He's been
reaching out to you,
00:31:51.57\00:31:53.15
He's sent me to save you.
00:31:53.16\00:31:54.76
And I'm the path
upon which you will make
00:31:55.42\00:31:58.71
your journey back to
the heart of the Father.
00:31:58.72\00:32:01.69
The second coming
is the consummation
00:32:03.45\00:32:06.84
of all our hopes. It
is the point in which
00:32:06.85\00:32:11.01
we launch off into
eternity future for an
00:32:11.02\00:32:15.60
eternal fellowship
with the God the Father,
00:32:15.61\00:32:18.74
God the Son and
God the Holy Spirit.
00:32:18.75\00:32:20.79
Loop over to chapter
17 of John and you'll know
00:32:20.80\00:32:24.72
similar language
that Jesus employs here
00:32:24.73\00:32:27.40
verse 24, verse 24.
Now, go back to verse
00:32:28.12\00:32:33.11
23 because I can't miss
the last line of verse 23.
00:32:33.12\00:32:35.78
Jesus is praying
these kinds of sentiments:
00:32:36.45\00:32:39.65
I am them and you
Father in me, that they
00:32:40.20\00:32:43.94
maybe made perfect in
one, and that the world
00:32:43.95\00:32:48.59
may know that you have sent me,
00:32:48.60\00:32:50.79
now get this, and
that you have loved them as
00:32:50.80\00:32:56.45
you loved me, what?
Jesus says, Father you
00:32:56.46\00:33:02.66
love them, put your
name there, Father you
00:33:02.67\00:33:06.77
loved Ty with the
same quality and passion of
00:33:06.78\00:33:15.19
love with which you love
me Your only begotten Son.
00:33:15.20\00:33:17.98
Father, you love
them as you have loved me,
00:33:19.75\00:33:21.40
look at verse
24: Now watch this:
00:33:21.41\00:33:24.02
Father, I desire
is that a Stelic word?
00:33:24.03\00:33:28.74
No, that's a word of passion,
00:33:30.07\00:33:32.61
that's a word of enthusiasm.
00:33:34.00\00:33:35.55
He says: Father, I
desire that they also,
00:33:36.87\00:33:40.13
whom you have given me, may be,
00:33:40.53\00:33:43.42
here it is again,
with me where I am.
00:33:43.43\00:33:47.90
He wants us to be what again?
00:33:49.21\00:33:51.60
With Him. Just
so, so incredible,
00:33:52.33\00:33:57.25
that they may
behold my glory which you
00:33:57.88\00:34:02.26
have given me for you
get this loved me before
00:34:02.27\00:34:07.56
the foundation of the world.
00:34:07.57\00:34:08.86
Jesus says
Father, I want them to be
00:34:10.23\00:34:12.64
brought into fellowship
of love with which you
00:34:12.65\00:34:15.88
and I have been
engaged before the
00:34:15.89\00:34:17.94
world was even
created. You and I have been
00:34:17.95\00:34:20.46
engaged Father along
with the Holy Spirit and
00:34:20.47\00:34:22.70
this, this love relationship,
00:34:22.71\00:34:24.59
this friendship,
this fellowship and I want
00:34:24.60\00:34:27.02
them to be introduced
into that inner circle.
00:34:27.03\00:34:30.39
I want them to be
participants for all
00:34:31.47\00:34:34.86
eternity future in
this loved that You and
00:34:34.87\00:34:37.37
I have been sharing
for all eternity past.
00:34:37.38\00:34:39.66
Verse 25: O
righteous Father, the world has
00:34:40.73\00:34:43.38
not known you:
but I have known you,
00:34:43.39\00:34:45.07
and these have known
that you have sent me.
00:34:45.32\00:34:47.35
Verse 26 is the
climax: And I have declared to
00:34:48.11\00:34:51.54
them your name, and
will declare it so that
00:34:51.55\00:34:55.49
the love with which
you have loved me may be
00:34:55.50\00:34:59.51
in them, and I in
them. Astounding huh?
00:34:59.65\00:35:06.21
Jesus here
describes salvation and it's
00:35:07.32\00:35:12.99
ultimate end goal,
as escorting you and me,
00:35:13.00\00:35:19.50
ushering us back into an
eternal love relationship
00:35:19.89\00:35:25.56
with Him and with
His Father that resembles
00:35:26.67\00:35:31.11
the love that they shared before
00:35:31.43\00:35:33.86
the world was even created.
00:35:33.87\00:35:36.08
Is that desirable?
Does it arouse in you
00:35:38.12\00:35:43.99
a sense of longing?
Does it break within
00:35:44.00\00:35:50.41
you the shackles
of mere religious
00:35:50.42\00:35:57.96
observations and going
through the motions and
00:35:57.97\00:36:01.05
legalistic
considerations and serving God
00:36:01.06\00:36:04.36
because you have to
after all, because He's
00:36:04.37\00:36:06.36
God and you're not
and it's His universe.
00:36:06.37\00:36:08.24
So you had better
do what He says if you
00:36:08.45\00:36:09.93
know what is best for you.
00:36:09.94\00:36:11.03
There is a heaven to
gain and a hell to shun,
00:36:12.74\00:36:16.74
I better get my act together.
00:36:17.81\00:36:18.94
Do you feel that just
kind of, just rolling off
00:36:20.29\00:36:23.69
of your back and
a lightness, and a
00:36:24.88\00:36:26.99
freedom that comes from knowing
00:36:27.00\00:36:29.83
God in this kind of light?
00:36:29.84\00:36:31.77
It wakes up
something inside of me
00:36:36.33\00:36:39.15
that I would so love to see
00:36:40.76\00:36:43.25
awakened in every one of us.
00:36:43.26\00:36:45.56
Well, Peter in one
of my favorite eternity
00:36:47.06\00:36:50.46
future texts opens to
our mind with even greater
00:36:50.47\00:36:55.71
clarity what it is that
Jesus has in store for us.
00:36:55.72\00:37:01.04
Now, watch this in
1st Peter chapter 1,
00:37:01.46\00:37:03.49
1st Peter chapter 1,
we're going to, we're going
00:37:04.35\00:37:08.38
to look
specifically at verses 7 and 8.
00:37:08.39\00:37:10.89
I'm gonna read first from the
00:37:11.30\00:37:13.58
New King James
Version but I want you to pay
00:37:13.59\00:37:15.68
close attention to this text and
00:37:15.85\00:37:17.21
notice where it leads us.
In verse 7 of 1st Peter 1,
00:37:17.22\00:37:21.39
Peter talks about
the Revelation of Jesus
00:37:22.93\00:37:26.30
Christ this is his
term for the second coming.
00:37:26.31\00:37:30.22
Jesus is going to
return and when He returns
00:37:31.72\00:37:35.73
Peter says it will be
an experience to encounter
00:37:37.42\00:37:43.11
Him and then Peter
explains that it is
00:37:43.12\00:37:47.66
something that bears
contemplating in terms
00:37:48.26\00:37:53.41
of eternity future, watch this.
00:37:53.42\00:37:55.10
He speaks of the
Revelation of Jesus
00:37:55.11\00:37:57.18
Christ verse 8:
Whom having not what?
00:37:57.19\00:38:03.09
Having not seen you
love, though now you
00:38:03.81\00:38:08.74
do not what? You don't see Him,
00:38:08.75\00:38:11.38
yet you believe and
you rejoice with joy
00:38:11.98\00:38:16.90
inexpressible and full of glory.
00:38:17.54\00:38:21.48
Now, here's what Peter
is saying, he's saying to
00:38:22.40\00:38:26.44
us and to the
believers in his time,
00:38:26.45\00:38:28.80
he's saying you
haven't seen Jesus with your
00:38:28.81\00:38:32.50
eyes and yet you love him.
00:38:32.51\00:38:35.13
Alright, you haven't
seen Him but you love
00:38:36.58\00:38:40.15
Him and then he says,
this love that you have
00:38:40.16\00:38:43.94
for the Savior
it fills you with an
00:38:43.95\00:38:47.07
inexpressible joy
that foretells the glory
00:38:47.08\00:38:54.46
the future kingdom.
The Phillips translation
00:38:55.46\00:38:58.98
renders the text,
verse 8: Though you have
00:38:58.99\00:39:03.08
never seen Him, yet
you love Him and at the
00:39:03.23\00:39:08.57
present time you trust him
00:39:08.58\00:39:11.31
without being able to see Him.
00:39:12.11\00:39:15.45
And even now he
brings you a joy that
00:39:16.76\00:39:23.34
words can not
express and which has in it
00:39:23.35\00:39:28.77
a hint of the glory of heaven.
00:39:30.25\00:39:34.41
Do you see what
Peter saying here,
00:39:35.73\00:39:37.05
he saying listen at
the Revelation of Jesus
00:39:37.06\00:39:40.77
Christ at his second coming.
00:39:40.78\00:39:42.26
You're going to
see him personally,
00:39:42.72\00:39:44.75
face to face that's
coming, but Peter says
00:39:45.16\00:39:48.51
wait a minute,
wait a minute, back up,
00:39:48.52\00:39:49.97
you haven't even
seen him yet you love him.
00:39:50.33\00:39:52.13
And not seeing him
and yet loving him,
00:39:54.63\00:39:58.42
you are filled with
an inexpressible joy,
00:39:59.33\00:40:01.56
there is a joy that is
derived from this love.
00:40:01.57\00:40:04.67
And that joy, that happiness,
00:40:05.66\00:40:07.54
that satisfaction that
is derived from his love
00:40:07.55\00:40:11.31
is a hint of what
heaven is all about.
00:40:13.32\00:40:19.04
Because heaven and
eternal life my friends
00:40:20.47\00:40:22.86
it is not merely
net material gains.
00:40:23.15\00:40:29.39
Heaven and eternal
life is foreshadowed,
00:40:31.03\00:40:34.23
it's whispered. In the love we
00:40:34.97\00:40:40.39
sometimes sense for
the Savior and then long to
00:40:40.87\00:40:46.55
experience it more sustained.
00:40:46.56\00:40:48.44
Do you know what I'm
saying, you have these
00:40:49.16\00:40:50.54
times where
you're going through your
00:40:50.55\00:40:52.86
Christian experience
and, and you're just on
00:40:52.87\00:40:56.33
the mountain top.
But what Isaiah says
00:40:56.34\00:40:58.45
riding on the high
places of the earth,
00:40:58.46\00:41:00.26
just spiritually
alive and you're just so,
00:41:01.47\00:41:05.38
so engaged with the
Lord. And then other times
00:41:05.87\00:41:10.35
the practical duties
of daily life and the
00:41:10.98\00:41:13.40
memory of your own failures and,
00:41:13.41\00:41:15.41
and your own relational
breakdowns and feeling
00:41:15.96\00:41:18.53
so bad and
you're at a low place.
00:41:18.54\00:41:23.26
But, what's happening
is at those high places
00:41:24.67\00:41:27.64
where you really
sense the love of Christ;
00:41:27.65\00:41:30.42
you are
experience, you're tasting.
00:41:31.76\00:41:34.34
What in eternity
future will be infinitely
00:41:36.06\00:41:38.94
sustained with no low points?
00:41:38.95\00:41:41.84
Because everything
that brings us down would
00:41:43.15\00:41:48.41
have been removed.
Now, I want to with
00:41:48.42\00:41:52.16
that little launching
pad, I wanna share with you
00:41:52.17\00:41:55.81
four windows into
eternity future, four what?
00:41:55.82\00:42:00.67
Windows into eternity
future, it's like we're
00:42:01.46\00:42:03.60
standing in the
house, in the biblical house,
00:42:03.61\00:42:07.82
in the theological
house. And we're contemplating
00:42:07.83\00:42:12.23
and we're probing
and we're looking out
00:42:12.24\00:42:15.47
certain windows that the
scriptures open before us.
00:42:15.85\00:42:19.28
And those windows
give us a view into the
00:42:21.12\00:42:24.98
contents of eternity future.
00:42:24.99\00:42:27.26
Window number 1
we're going to call
00:42:28.96\00:42:31.68
an infinitely
sustained relational bliss,
00:42:32.42\00:42:37.19
does you get that?
Some of you can't write
00:42:37.47\00:42:40.60
fast enough so
I'm gonna say it again
00:42:40.61\00:42:42.21
window number 1 is
an infinitely sustained
00:42:43.64\00:42:46.89
relational bliss,
unbroken relational integrity.
00:42:48.24\00:42:55.12
A relationship with
God and with one and other
00:42:56.20\00:42:58.94
that will be forever
and forever and forever
00:42:58.95\00:43:02.40
uninterrupted,
unbroken, infinitely sustained.
00:43:02.41\00:43:07.35
And it'll be more
than infinitely sustained,
00:43:08.22\00:43:10.30
it will be infinitely
escalating, it will grow
00:43:10.31\00:43:15.51
and deepen and
broaden. Look in your Bible at
00:43:15.52\00:43:18.56
chapter 16 of Psalms,
Psalm 16, this is a verse
00:43:18.57\00:43:22.61
that, that ought to
stand out to us as we
00:43:22.62\00:43:26.06
contemplate heaven and
eternity future and the
00:43:26.07\00:43:29.86
earth made new. Here David opens
00:43:29.87\00:43:34.03
this window to us
and he says verse 11 of
00:43:34.04\00:43:39.30
Psalms 16: You Lord,
"You will show me the
00:43:39.31\00:43:43.94
path of life; In Your
presence, in your what?
00:43:43.95\00:43:47.87
In your presence
is what kind of joy?
00:43:48.49\00:43:51.94
Fullness of joy and
at Your right hand are
00:43:52.69\00:43:56.15
pleasures forevermore.
That sounds like it's
00:43:57.28\00:44:00.82
infinitely sustained,
it's eternal, it's nonstop.
00:44:00.83\00:44:05.69
Pleasures in his
presence forever and
00:44:06.85\00:44:09.72
what kinds of pleasures
are being described here?
00:44:09.73\00:44:12.94
Well, the pleasures
that we find in God's
00:44:13.28\00:44:16.95
presence are the
pleasures of affirmation
00:44:16.96\00:44:21.53
and acceptance
and a lack of reserve
00:44:22.40\00:44:26.54
innocence and a deep
settled conviction that
00:44:28.12\00:44:35.82
this one who made
me infinitely loves me.
00:44:35.83\00:44:40.17
There is going
to be other kinds of
00:44:42.56\00:44:43.69
pleasures no
doubt, we talk about
00:44:43.70\00:44:45.09
traveling to different planets,
00:44:45.10\00:44:46.35
I'm looking forward
to that I have dream
00:44:46.36\00:44:48.76
sometimes about
flying, more like floating
00:44:48.77\00:44:51.12
actually, it's
like I'm really big and
00:44:51.13\00:44:53.37
I'm just kind of wobbling over
00:44:53.38\00:44:55.21
the earth in my flying dreams.
00:44:55.22\00:44:57.79
But I'm looking
forward to flying
00:44:58.05\00:45:00.16
and sowing to planets so
far, exploring the universe
00:45:00.17\00:45:02.84
although I'm
getting tired of traveling
00:45:02.85\00:45:04.71
I must be honest. I'm
looking forward to it,
00:45:04.72\00:45:08.04
I'm looking
forward to Jesus said that
00:45:08.05\00:45:10.58
we will have the pleasure
of sitting under the tree
00:45:10.59\00:45:12.68
of life and having
fellowship with Abraham,
00:45:12.69\00:45:15.77
Isaac and Jacob,
Jesus said that we will eat
00:45:15.78\00:45:20.59
with them and we'll
fellowship with them.
00:45:20.60\00:45:22.85
I'm looking
forward to that pleasure,
00:45:24.19\00:45:25.78
but the pleasure here is
the pleasure of his presence.
00:45:25.79\00:45:28.58
The pleasure of being with him,
00:45:28.59\00:45:31.60
the pleasure of
knowing this God,
00:45:31.61\00:45:35.47
in chapter 27 and
verse 4 of Psalms,
00:45:35.48\00:45:39.66
just flip over
just a couple of pages.
00:45:39.67\00:45:41.30
Notice that this
pleasure involves another aspect
00:45:41.74\00:45:47.96
verse 4 David says:
One thing I have desired
00:45:47.97\00:45:53.14
of the Lord and
that will I seek:
00:45:53.15\00:45:55.99
That I may dwell in the house
00:45:56.56\00:45:58.67
of the Lord forever
why? All the days of my life,
00:45:58.68\00:46:08.18
To behold the
beauty of the Lord,
00:46:08.19\00:46:11.20
And to inquire in His
temple isn't that something?
00:46:12.24\00:46:15.96
David says I can't
wait to spend eternity
00:46:16.80\00:46:19.40
in the house of God,
because there is gonna
00:46:19.41\00:46:23.33
be lots of neat
stuff there right, no.
00:46:23.34\00:46:27.11
I wanna dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
00:46:28.66\00:46:31.56
All the days of
my eternal existence,
00:46:31.57\00:46:34.31
to behold the
beauty of the Lord,
00:46:35.95\00:46:38.97
And to inquire in His temple.
00:46:38.98\00:46:41.52
Again all of this
is communicated in
00:46:41.53\00:46:43.96
relational
terms, don't you love it
00:46:43.97\00:46:48.86
when you get to know
somebody better than you
00:46:48.87\00:46:51.07
ever have known them
before and they're more
00:46:51.08\00:46:53.03
beautiful than
you've ever imagined?
00:46:53.04\00:46:54.34
Maybe you have children
or a best friend or a spouse
00:46:56.54\00:46:59.56
and all of the sudden out
of nowhere you're like wow,
00:46:59.57\00:47:03.68
you're incredible I
knew you were incredible,
00:47:03.69\00:47:06.42
but you are more
incredible then I ever imagined.
00:47:06.43\00:47:09.18
You see some aspect
of their personality,
00:47:09.79\00:47:12.09
some part of their
heart, they open their mouth
00:47:12.10\00:47:15.64
and they speak and
they disclose things
00:47:15.65\00:47:18.71
that you never
knew about them before.
00:47:18.72\00:47:20.33
I go through this all
the time with my wife Sue,
00:47:20.34\00:47:22.55
we'd be together
approximately forever
00:47:22.56\00:47:24.60
and it seems like
it's just been a week.
00:47:24.61\00:47:27.04
Because over and
over again it's new,
00:47:27.05\00:47:30.57
over and over again we'll
just be laughing our heads
00:47:31.52\00:47:35.58
off about something
and I'll just look at her.
00:47:35.59\00:47:38.48
And I'll just feel so
blessed that she loves me
00:47:39.92\00:47:44.22
and that she knows me
and that she still loves me
00:47:44.23\00:47:49.49
even though she knows me.
00:47:49.50\00:47:51.07
She is born as
the best human being
00:47:51.53\00:47:54.03
I have ever known
and she was my first
00:47:54.04\00:47:56.85
introduction to
the heart of God.
00:47:56.86\00:48:00.37
She already knew
Him, she believed
00:48:00.86\00:48:02.64
in the existence of
God and somehow I had
00:48:02.65\00:48:04.91
the idea that he's
good and I was like what,
00:48:04.92\00:48:07.46
how could you possibly
believe that we probably
00:48:07.47\00:48:09.16
got here by aliens or something?
00:48:09.17\00:48:10.69
That's how far
removed I was from reality
00:48:11.49\00:48:14.22
and she just kind of whispered
00:48:14.23\00:48:16.72
to me over and over again.
00:48:16.73\00:48:18.31
You're gonna get it someday,
00:48:18.32\00:48:19.96
God does exist and God is good.
00:48:21.26\00:48:23.83
And I have been, I
have been just unveiling
00:48:24.21\00:48:27.79
this lady's heart
all these years now
00:48:27.80\00:48:30.22
and that reminds me
that if finite human beings
00:48:30.23\00:48:37.54
can get to know one
and other like that,
00:48:37.55\00:48:40.96
can you imagine what is
gonna be like to fellowship
00:48:40.97\00:48:43.51
with the infinite God
of heaven forever and ever.
00:48:43.52\00:48:46.95
Just one disclosure
of beauty after another,
00:48:48.49\00:48:50.83
David says I want to
dwell in the house of the Lord,
00:48:51.66\00:48:53.88
all the days of my
life; To behold His beauty.
00:48:53.89\00:48:56.43
So, eternity
future looks like that,
00:48:56.98\00:48:59.00
it's an infinitely
sustained relational bliss,
00:48:59.01\00:49:04.00
just getting to know
him better and better.
00:49:04.01\00:49:07.25
Secondly, eternity
future is a complete
00:49:07.82\00:49:13.11
absence of hurt, one of
the high places of scripture
00:49:13.12\00:49:20.00
is Isaiah chapter 11
and verse 9 where God's
00:49:20.01\00:49:25.21
ultimate aspiration is
brought to our attention,
00:49:25.22\00:49:28.13
He says, He says: They
shall not hurt nor destroy
00:49:28.14\00:49:34.07
in all my holy
mountain says the Lord,
00:49:34.08\00:49:36.51
for the earth shall be filled
00:49:36.52\00:49:38.09
with the knowledge of the Lord.
00:49:38.10\00:49:40.88
God's ultimate hope
and desire is a world
00:49:41.58\00:49:45.09
and a universe
free from all hurt
00:49:45.10\00:49:48.40
which is to say God
looks forward to an eternity
00:49:48.41\00:49:51.68
future free from all
relational violation.
00:49:51.69\00:49:55.48
If you stop and
think about it every pain
00:49:56.64\00:49:58.41
that we as human
beings experience is traceable
00:49:58.42\00:50:02.72
to some relational breakdown,
00:50:02.73\00:50:05.12
some relational violation,
somebody crossed the line
00:50:05.13\00:50:10.04
to violate somebody
in a residual effect,
00:50:11.40\00:50:14.64
reached out from
there to cause pain
00:50:14.65\00:50:17.67
to many, many others.
00:50:17.68\00:50:19.08
Eternity future is
a future with no hurt,
00:50:19.52\00:50:23.92
with no pain, with no wounds.
00:50:23.93\00:50:25.65
The Bible says that God
will erase all the memory,
00:50:26.66\00:50:31.06
the emotional memory,
we won't have amnesia,
00:50:31.07\00:50:33.49
we won't forget who we were.
00:50:33.50\00:50:34.75
If we did we would have
forgot the plan of salvation
00:50:35.49\00:50:37.74
and the whole thing
would have been pointless.
00:50:37.75\00:50:40.04
We will not have
amnesia but we will have
00:50:40.05\00:50:43.15
no more emotional
memory of the pain
00:50:43.16\00:50:47.13
and the wounds and the hurt
00:50:47.14\00:50:48.21
that this world
has inflicted upon us.
00:50:48.22\00:50:50.03
Number 3, eternity
future, eternity future
00:50:50.99\00:50:56.33
will be composed of
a child like innocence,
00:50:56.34\00:51:01.06
do you remember
when the little children
00:51:01.90\00:51:04.17
were brought to
Jesus and the disciples,
00:51:04.18\00:51:06.63
the adults said you know
this is God and human flesh
00:51:06.64\00:51:12.00
and he's got some
important things on his agenda,
00:51:12.01\00:51:14.48
he's setting up
his kingdom and all and
00:51:14.49\00:51:16.88
you know you're
just women and children,
00:51:17.82\00:51:19.30
please scat, get out of here.
00:51:19.31\00:51:20.87
This is the Messiah after all,
00:51:20.88\00:51:22.63
He doesn't have
time for little kids,
00:51:22.64\00:51:24.50
what did Jesus say?
Suffer the little children
00:51:24.51\00:51:28.12
to come unto me
and do not forbid them,
00:51:28.13\00:51:30.90
do you know the rest?
00:51:30.91\00:51:31.88
For of such is
the kingdom of God.
00:51:31.89\00:51:36.65
Now, my premise is
that if the kingdom
00:51:36.66\00:51:43.98
will only be inhabited
by child-like individuals
00:51:43.99\00:51:51.03
then the monarch of that kingdom
00:51:52.17\00:51:56.12
is himself
ultimately child like.
00:51:56.13\00:51:59.71
I'd like to suggest
to you that in the words
00:52:00.46\00:52:03.88
of a fascinating
quotation by George McDonald:
00:52:03.89\00:52:07.21
that he was, that as God was,
00:52:07.22\00:52:10.28
is and ever shall
be divinely child-like.
00:52:10.29\00:52:14.38
Childhood belongs
to the divine nature,
00:52:14.85\00:52:18.93
or this interesting
line from another author.
00:52:20.61\00:52:23.14
Perhaps we have
sinned and have grown old
00:52:23.73\00:52:27.99
and our Father is
younger than we are.
00:52:28.00\00:52:32.40
There is a sense in
which God is child like,
00:52:32.95\00:52:35.67
God is not
immature but he is innocent,
00:52:35.68\00:52:38.86
the Bible says
he is of purer eyes
00:52:39.64\00:52:41.71
then to behold iniquity.
00:52:41.72\00:52:43.34
He shrinks back from seeing sin,
00:52:43.71\00:52:47.39
he's not immature
but he's innocent,
00:52:48.14\00:52:50.37
he's not naive about evil
00:52:50.38\00:52:52.94
but evil is
foreign to his nature.
00:52:52.95\00:52:55.35
He's not silly
minded, but he did designed
00:52:55.81\00:53:00.97
the penguin and his waddle.
00:53:00.98\00:53:03.41
God is divinely child-like
on a mega mature level.
00:53:03.42\00:53:10.31
Are you with me? God
is just pure, unbridled,
00:53:10.95\00:53:18.69
authentic, innocent
love and in that sense
00:53:18.70\00:53:24.24
God is the most
child-like person
00:53:24.25\00:53:26.20
in the whole universe.
00:53:26.21\00:53:27.31
And I can't wait
to hang out with him,
00:53:27.87\00:53:29.15
I can't wait to spend
time and eternity with a God
00:53:29.16\00:53:33.86
who can throw his
head back in laughter
00:53:33.87\00:53:37.38
at the beauties of creation
00:53:38.75\00:53:40.47
and the platypus's weird
but beautiful appearance.
00:53:40.48\00:53:45.91
God made all this stuff,
00:53:46.63\00:53:48.13
there is something
deeply and intricately
00:53:48.14\00:53:52.48
beautiful about
God's child like heart.
00:53:52.49\00:53:54.90
And finally,
number 4, eternity future
00:53:54.91\00:54:00.27
is intimate fellowship with God,
00:54:00.28\00:54:05.27
which is brought
to us in many places
00:54:05.28\00:54:07.25
but I'll just give you
just three or four scriptures.
00:54:07.26\00:54:10.41
First of all chapter 2
and verse 17 of Revelation
00:54:11.34\00:54:14.90
tells us that upon
entering the kingdom
00:54:14.91\00:54:18.03
we will be given each
one of us a white stone
00:54:18.04\00:54:23.02
with a new name,
that nobody knows except
00:54:23.03\00:54:28.08
for the one who receives
it and the one who gives it.
00:54:28.09\00:54:30.53
What's this new name?
00:54:31.02\00:54:33.24
It is a point of
intimacy between God
00:54:33.25\00:54:37.33
and our
individuals souls because
00:54:37.34\00:54:39.79
He alone knows us
the history we've had,
00:54:39.80\00:54:42.89
what it is that
He's led us through,
00:54:42.90\00:54:44.85
the victories that by
His grace we've gained.
00:54:44.86\00:54:47.11
He knows us like nobody else,
00:54:47.12\00:54:49.72
He alone can pick the
perfect name to depict
00:54:49.73\00:54:53.52
our new character in Christ.
00:54:53.53\00:54:58.24
And that new name
will be a point of intimacy
00:54:58.66\00:55:01.55
for all eternity
between us and our God
00:55:01.56\00:55:04.97
and then it says that we
will each of us partake of
00:55:07.06\00:55:10.14
hidden manna, hidden
manna, manna is a biblical
00:55:10.15\00:55:14.86
symbol for
spiritual insight and truth.
00:55:14.87\00:55:18.43
In order words,
there is hidden manna,
00:55:19.19\00:55:21.61
there is hidden
insight to the character of God
00:55:21.62\00:55:23.90
that nobody else
can access but you.
00:55:23.91\00:55:26.32
Nobody can ever know God
00:55:26.68\00:55:28.71
in the way I can know
Him, because each individual
00:55:28.72\00:55:33.26
ponders him and relates to him
00:55:33.27\00:55:35.09
with a totally
exclusive relationship
00:55:35.10\00:55:40.15
that nobody else can access
00:55:40.16\00:55:42.23
as unique as your fingerprint.
00:55:42.24\00:55:44.53
You will know God
in ways that nobody
00:55:44.54\00:55:47.22
else can and
finally, Revelation chapter 22
00:55:47.23\00:55:50.73
says in verse 4:
That eternity future
00:55:50.74\00:55:54.76
will involve the
intimacy of face to face
00:55:54.77\00:55:59.11
communion with God,
it says they shall see
00:55:59.12\00:56:02.64
his face and his name,
00:56:02.65\00:56:05.11
his character will
be in their foreheads,
00:56:05.12\00:56:07.95
in their frontal lobe region.
00:56:07.96\00:56:09.97
In order words my
friends, eternity future
00:56:09.98\00:56:13.13
ultimately is about
being completely restored
00:56:13.14\00:56:18.26
to face to face, eye to eye,
00:56:18.27\00:56:21.58
voice to voice, first
person, and fellowship
00:56:21.59\00:56:27.58
with the most beautiful
person in all the universe.
00:56:27.59\00:56:31.22
And if that's
what eternity future
00:56:31.91\00:56:34.35
is made of, you can
count me in and I hope
00:56:34.36\00:56:39.24
that you plan by God's
grace to be there as well.
00:56:39.25\00:56:42.44
Thank you for
spending this time with me
00:56:43.53\00:56:45.74
in this five part series on the
00:56:45.75\00:56:48.59
Extravagant Love
of God, let's pray.
00:56:48.60\00:56:50.77
Father in heaven, we
open our hearts to you anew,
00:56:50.78\00:56:54.71
we have received
insights from your word
00:56:54.72\00:56:58.31
regarding the kind
of person that you are
00:56:58.32\00:57:00.80
and the love that
you cherish for us
00:57:00.81\00:57:02.97
in your heart. May we love you
00:57:02.98\00:57:06.16
and return, in Jesus name, amen.
00:57:06.17\00:57:10.92